The Roșia Montană Protests were a series of protests in 2013 in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and dozens of other cities in Romania and abroad against the Roșia Montană mining project. Protesters said that the mining project would destroy the environment and heritage of Roșia Montană and demanded the withdrawal of a law which would enable this project to commence. In Bucharest, protests were held every evening in the University Square and marches were held each Sunday.
Quick Facts 2013 Roșia Montană Protests, Date ...
2013 Roșia Montană Protests |
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Date | 1 September 2013 – 11 February 2014[1] (5 months, 10 days,) |
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Location |
- 50 cities across Romania
- 30 cities in Romanian diaspora
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Caused by |
- Suspicion of long-time health effects due to cyanide[2]
- Pollution threat of water supplies and rivers[3]
- Destruction threat of local ecosystem
- Large-scale deforestation threat
- Doubtful environmental situation after the closing of Roșia Montană Project in event of exploitation
- Destruction threat of landscape
- Destruction threat of historic monuments
- Suspicion of fake documentation regarding the mining project[3][4]
- Governmental attempts to break the Rule of Law
- Governmental dismissal of public servants who opposed the project[3]
- Governmental intervention in Justice[3]
- Secret agreements between Government and Roșia Montană Gold Corporation[3][5]
- Governmental silence over royalties for rare-earth elements
- Initial lack of governmental transparency over Roșia Montană Project
- Low rate of royalties for minerals
- Conviction that political class is not pursuing the national interest
- Suspicion of political bribery
- Uncertain position of lawmakers over the project[6]
- Indifference of authorities and lawmakers to citizens' requests
- Insults brought by Prime Minister against protesters[7]
- Media blackout[3]
- Aggressive pro-mining propaganda[3]
- Doubtful local employment situation after the closing of Roșia Montană Project in event of exploitation
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Goals |
- Rejection of the bill
- Banning gold cyanidation in Romania
- Registration of Roșia Montană on Romania's tentative list for UNESCO
- Rejection of the environmental agreement
- Resignation of political supporters of the project including
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Methods |
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Concessions |
- Rejection of the bill as passed by the Government
- Rejection of mining law[9]
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Although at first largely ignored by the world press, the demonstrations started to receive more significant worldwide attention both by the media and the general population via the use of social networks. The protests were dubbed the Indignants Movement (Romanian: Mișcarea Indignaților)[14] and Romanian Autumn (Romanian: Toamna Românească). by the Romanian press.[15][16]