Greenpeace activists dig for gold

(Photo source) Fifty Greenpeace activists from ten countries (including Romania) armed with picks and shovels were arrested in Bucharest today after taking to the front lawn of the Casa Nebunului, setting up a 'mining area' and 'digging for gold' in symbolic opposition to the Rosia Montana gold-mining project. Banners displayed the messages "Gold Mining Operations" and "Gold mining area". What a fantastic initiative!! BRAVO!! A shame they didn't have a couple of tons of cyanide to throw in, too!

See video HERE and more photos HERE.

"In the last couple of months, the Government has issued special laws allowing any private company, not just Roșia Montană Gold Corporation, to exploit any kind of resource, wherever it is. It just needs to be labelled ‘national interest project’ or ‘public interest project’ and that is enough. The destruction of communities, the environment, national patrimony, historic or cultural.... This is as abnormal as digging for gold in the yard of an institution. Today’s protest shows exactly what a company interested in exploring and exploiting the country’s underground resources can do. We are here to send a message to the members of parliament on the consequences their decisions and their votes might have," says a statement by Greenpeace Romania on their FB page.

(Photo source) TOTB explains that the police confiscated their tools at first, but the unperturbed protesters just dug the hard and icy ground with their hands instead. Hardly surprisingly, they were finally arrested along with a journalist and a couple of photographers and hauled off to various cop shops to give statements - not before images and reports had hit the social networks though, saturating Twitter and FB. Message superbly delivered! 

A Canadian activist is reported to have been roughed up by police, and hospitalised as a result. I'll update when there's more news.

It is supposed that the activists will be fined between 500-1500 lei each for scaling the fences and unauthorised protesting.

"I understand that the Romanian government gives special laws allowing the exploration and development of resources anywhere in the country by anyone, especially Canadians. So I came from Canada to look for gold here in the courtyard of the Palace of Parliament," said activist Mia Jessica Steinbach. LOL!!!

(Photo source) Of course, Romanian national media coverage on this morning's 'dig' has been unremarkably slow so far apart from Adevarul and ProTV, but you can catch up on Greenpeace Romania's FB page for more and check out the social networks where info continues to flood in.

Bravo, Greenpeace! Absolutely bloody brilliant! Jos palaria!!!!

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(Photo source) Greenpeace's demonstration this morning comes 24h before THE most crucial day for Rosia Montana to date. The Mining Bill will be put to the final vote in the Chamber of Deputies tomorrow, 10th December, at 10h. This new and amended bill is even more dangerous than its predecessor, for it will legalise cyanide use, expropriation and other such unconstitutional horrors. Deputies of the Commission for Industry gave the newly amended draft a thumbs up this evening... In addition, USL is desperate to pass three highly controversial laws: one on lobbying, an amnesty law and another that gives major powers to the Chamber of Commerce. Why not legalise bribery too, and go the whole hog... 

Mass demonstrations will take place from 9h30 tomorrow morning in front of Parliament in Bucharest, across the entire country and abroad demanding that deputies vote NU to the mining bill. Wherever you may be tomorrow morning, whether it be in Romania or beyond her boundaries, and if you're not at work, PLEASE GET OUT THERE!!!! Tomorrow is the day we could lose Rosia Montana...