Save Rosia Montana Campaign claims in the street the resign of the State Secretary in Ministry of Environment

Today, the 7th of March, 150 people asked in front of the Ministry of Environment for the resignation of Marin Anton, the State Secretary of this Ministry, as a reaction towards his scandalous affirmations regarding Roşia Montană during a recent televised debate broadcast by the national public television. On Thursday, February 23rd, the Romanian National Television hosted a special edition of the show Judge it for yourself! dedicated to Roşia Montană, where Marin Anton was invited as a representative of the Ministry of Environment and as a president of the Technical Analysis Commission within this ministry, both of them, institutions with responsibilities in deciding the fate of Roşia Montană. During this special edition, Marin Anton gave untrue, misleading and manipulative information about Roşia Montană, proving once more Save Rosia Montana Campaign’s concerns regarding the evaluation process of the mining project proposed at Rosia Montana. The protesters appeared in front of the Ministry of Environment with several banners, whose messages integrated their indignation and complaints towards Marin Anton’s affirmations and defying attitude expressed during the televised debate: “Anton, we ask for your resignation”, “Anton loves cyanide/ the dictatorship pays him”, “Cyanide is not food. It’s poison” and “Chemical Anton”. They also posted messages that sanctioned the state secretary’s incompetence, his lack of knowledge about the real situation in Roşia Montană, the environmental law or the ecological accident that happened in Baia Mare, in 2000. Through several photographs, the participants at the protest reminded Anton that there are still villagers who oppose the mining project, that valuable cultural patrimony and several biodiversity elements still exist in Rosia Montana, all of them couldn’t be ignored in the evaluation process. People had been inspired by Anton’s declarations that he will drink cyanide as it’s not posing any problems to human health and put in scene an artistic moment in order to prove the absurd of this situation. A protester costumed as the State Secretary having the pockets filled with Canadian dollars (from the Canadian company that want to develop the mine) drank ‘cyanide’ and offered the participants to taste from the cyanide barrel this ‘healthy’ chemical solution. Symbolically, he was removed from his official position by the civil society and afterward banished from the ministry. The today protest comes after significant civil society efforts to remove Marin Anton from the Ministry of Environment. On the 28th of February, more than 100 nongovernmental organizations, specialists and university professors addressed the Prime-minister an open letter in which they claimed Marin Anton to be removed, as a consequence of his public actions and declarations. More than that, 4500 citizens signed this letter and sent it to the Government’s Cabinet in a week time, but without any answer. The protest that lasted approximately 2 hours didn’t pass out without a hitch. The moment the protesters wanted to register the open letter to the ministry, they weren’t allowed by policemen to enter the building. They were told that the door is broken and they have to use a secondary entrance, in the back of the building. The police man also tried to disperse the participants, though the protest was peaceful and according to the law. “We are absolutely indignant at Mr. Anton’s attitude! Though he is responsible with the evaluation of a mining project that irremediably affects the environment, the people and the history, he chooses to be the messenger of a private company instead of the Romanian citizens. We transmit him that his declarations and actions are in conflict with his official responsibilities and that we will continue with our actions until he resigns and the abuses carried by corruption will end.”, declared Ms. Stefania Simion from Alburnus Maior, the local NGO that opposes the mining project proposal. For further information visit www.rosiamontana.org