Russians opposing Yekaterinburg cathedral clash with police

MOSCOW – Several hundred demonstrators protesting plans to construct a cathedral in a park in Russia's fourth-largest city have clashed with police.

Some of the demonstrators in Yekaterinburg have torn down fences set up to protect the construction site as police tried to wrest the barriers away on Monday. Protesters set up at least one tent to try to maintain an around-the-clock presence. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any arrests or injuries.

The protesters say building the cathedral will deprive the city of recreational and green space.

Yekaterinburg, about 1,400 kilometers (880 miles) east of Moscow, has a population of about 1.5 million.