Police clashed with environmental activists preventing the felling of trees early on Friday morning in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad.

Activists have been trying for months to prevent the construction of a bridge through the Sodros nature preserve on the banks of the Danube.

Activists said they were pushed by the police with one of them claiming to have been punched and another saying he was pushed to the ground, the 021.rs portal reported. The clash happened when Chinese construction workers started felling trees. The Beta news agency reported that an activist tried to break through the police cordon and was knocked down adding that two activists were arrested.

Local media said that the construction plans call for the removal of 140 trees.