Beyond cold, press and manipulation,
Rosia Montana is not for sale
Bucharest, the 29th of January 2012 – Saturday, the 28th of January 2012, the most significant street action dedicated to the Save Rosia Montana Campaign took place in Piata Constitutiei from Bucharest. More than 500 Romanians from all over the country participated in the manifestation, protesting side by side with the locals from Rosia Montana against the imminent decision of Laszlo Borbely, the Minister of Environment and Forests, of emitting the environment approval for the mining project proposed for Rosia Montana.
The protest started at 11 o'clock, in Piata Constitutiei and continued in Piata Universitatii, the location of the "kilometre zero" of Romanian democracy. Manifestations of support for the protest from Bucharest simultaneously took place in Cluj-Napoca, Brasov and other cities from the country. The event was opened, in Bucharest, by Mr. Eugen David, the president of Alburnus Maior Association, who thanked the participants for their presence. The solidarity of all who support the campaign is extremely important, in these crucial moments, for the future faith of Rosia Montana and for the continuation of the locals' resistance fight. For 15 years, these people have been protecting their rights, in spite of the ignorance of the local authorities and of the constant pressure of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation Company.
Eugen David's discourse was followed by interventions of other members of Alburnus Maior Association from Rosia Montana and Bucium, and also of other activists, representatives of different organisations, with a key role in Save Rosia Montana Campaign.
"We express our stupefaction and our disapproval of the effort, of new, unequaled dimensions, made by some televisions, online publications and even news agencies, meant to misinform the public related to the number of participants, the message and the impact on the public of Saturday's demonstrations in Bucharest and of Save Rosia Montana movement in its entirety. Even if we are invisible for the press, we will continue to transmit the message that Rosia Montana is not for sale. We will not leave and we will not sell our lands, our churches and the graves of our ancestors. This is the thing I would like to see mentioned by the press and discussed in talk-shows, instead of stories about anomalous profits and fictitious jobs", Eugen David, president of Alburnus Maior Association, declared.
"Our future, of all of us, depends in great measure, on the way in which we will know to approach the problem in Rosia Montana. There are important problems that will generalise and will become even more acute unless we all fight them. Among these problems: corruption, media censorship, the imposition of political will against the will of the citizens, the protection of the interests of a foreign investor against people's property and the national patrimony. The future of Rosia Montana is the future of Romania. The way we will build it only depends on us.", Claudia Apostol, member of Save Rosia Montana campaign declared.
In response, the Minister of the Environment, although he was invited to participate and discuss with those present at the event, issued a press release in which the attention was directed to the Ministry of Economy and the job issue. "We express our deep concern and sadness that 12 years after the Baia Mare accident, which are to be commemorated on January 30th, the Ministry of the Environment once again chose to transfer responsibility to other authorities and to ignore the serious environmental problems that the mining project would involve" added Calin Capros, vice president of Alburnus Maior.
Piata Constitutiei vibrated of the voices of the 500 participants in the protest, who addressed messages to Laszlo Borbely, the Ministry of Environment, president Traian Băsescu and Kelemen Hunor, the Ministry of Culture, who try to speed up the approval of the mining project: "Borbely, do not sign for Rosia to disappear!", The Apuseni Mountains are stolen by Kelemen!", "Băsescu, do not forget, Rosia is not yours!", "Cry out loud: Rosia Montana is not for sale!" and many others.
Links:
Discours: Eugen David - president Alburnus Maior Association
Discourses: Mihnea Blidariu – musician/ activist, Eugen David - president Alburnus Maior Association, Adrian Dohotaru - activist | member of the Group for Social Action, Nicușor Dan – president of Save Bucharest Association
Save Rosia Montana Campaign in Piata Universitatii
Reasons against the mining project from Rosia Montana
More reasons against the mining project from Rosia Montana
"We don't exist for PRESS" - an original protest of the supporters of the "Save Rosia Montana" Campaign addressed to the press which censors opposition to the Rosia Montana mining project. The protest took place in University Square in Bucharest, 28 January 2012.
For further information, please contact:
Eugen David, president of Alburnus Maior, tel. 0040 0740 280309,
Călin Caproș, vice-president of Alburnus Maior, tel. 0040 0742 524387
E-mail: alburnusmaior@ngo.ro, web: www.rosiamontana.org
Save Rosia Montana Campaign has become, in time, the greatest environmental and social campaign from Romania. It represents the opposition towards the project of gold exploitation proposed by Roșia Montană Gold Corporation (RMGC) company. This project would involve the opening of the biggest surface gold mine in Europe, through the destruction of Rosia Montana and of a significant area of the Apuseni Mountains.
The Alburnus Maior Association initiated Save Rosia Montana Campaign. The Association was founded in the year 2000 by locals and owners from Rosia Montana who do not wish for their houses, grounds, churches and cemeteries be destroyed by the mining project. The fight against the mining project gained, in its more than 10 years of existence, numerous supporters. Today, Save Rosia Montana Campaign includes hundreds of organisations and scientific bodies and tens of thousands of people who militate for the preservation of Rosia Montana and for the durable development of the area, without the destruction that the mining project would cause.
