MOSCOW (AP) — Several thousand people have taken to the streets across northwest Russia to protest a controversial plan to build a major waste plant there.

Police in the regional capital of Arkhangelsk said Sunday that about 1,000 people attended a rally there while local media reported that more than 2,000 protesters showed up. Protesters also rallied in more than a dozen towns in the area against the dump.

Local media reported three activists have been detained at Arkhangelsk rally on charges related to their participation in unsanctioned gatherings earlier this year.

The outcry against plans for the waste plant in a pristine Russian forest gained national prominence earlier this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked local officials to heed public concerns but the construction project has not been shelved.