Supporters of Bulgaria's Vetoed Forestry Act Stage 2nd Rally

Society » ENVIRONMENT | June 18, 2012, Monday // 12:20
Bulgaria: Supporters of Bulgaria's Vetoed Forestry Act Stage 2nd Rally A Bulgarian police officer (R) detains an environmental activist during a spontaneous protest by environmentalists demonstrating against the adopted amendments to the Forestry Act facilitating construction in forest areas in Sofia, Bulgaria 13 June 2012.

A new counter-protest in defense of Bulgaria's controversial Forestry Act brought together Monday some 200 residents of Dupnitsa and Sapareva Banya.

At 11 a.m. on Monday, the supporters of the newly vetoed environmental legislation blocked the E-79 international road for about 15 minutes, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

The roadblock was staged at the exit of the southwestern Bulgarian town of Sapareva Banya on the road to Sofia.

The rally was led by the Mayor of Sapareva Banya, Sasho Ivanov.

He urged the government to not yield to the pressure of environmentalist racketeers.

The protesters called on Borisov to "cut the tentacles of the green Octopus."

The roadblock was assisted by some 30 police officers standing on both sides of the road.

The residents of Dupnitsa and Sapareva Banya kneeled on the road, thereby 'begging' for the vetoed amendments to the Forestry Act to be passed.

The people insisted that the government should not succumb to the demands of 'corrupt environmental activists' and stop investment projects in mountain municipalities.

They argued that the construction of sports facilities in Bulgarian mountains was necessary to ensure the economic development of the municipalities.

The disgruntled residents of the southwestern municipalities threatened to move their protest in front of the Parliament Building in Sofia on Tuesday.

After the veto imposed by President Rosen Plevneliev on Saturday, the Forestry Act is to be reworked in its entirety.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has claimed that there will be no debates on the legislation in Parliament until full consensus is achieved on the matter.

On Sunday, some 500 residents of Bansko, Razlog and Dobrinishre blocked the international E-79 road for about 20 minutes to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the presidential veto and their support for the vetoed provisions.

The protest, staged by the "Nature for People and Regions" coalition funded by notorious businessman Tseko Minev, was staffed by several hundred citizens from the mountainous Blagoevgrad region.

Police was vaguely present at the site of E-79 near Simitli and did nothing to prevent the blockade of the major international road leading to Thessaloniki.

In contrast, spontaneous protesters in capital Sofia had to clash with armored riot police Wednesday through Friday to stage a blockade of the Eagles Bridge intersection downtown.

Sunday's "protest" by citizens of Bansko, Razlog and Dobrinishte was instigated by Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Naydenov, who said municipalities had to root for the new law, which had alledegly been drafted to benefit remote areas.

Citizens who came out in thousands in Sofia since Wednesday, when the Forestry Act was passed in Parliament, claim that the law was passed to favor explicitly the ruthless development of protected areas by the likes of Tseko Minev, who has significant holdings in Bulgaria's ski business.

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Tags: protests, environmentalists, Forestry Act, mountains, Boyko Borisov, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, veto

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