Hungary protesters fend off fellers
By Nick Thorpe BBC Budapest | 13.02.2004 16:13
Environmental protesters in Hungary are claiming victory in their first battle to prevent the construction of a Nato radar station in the country's south.
Security guards were on Friday unable to remove local people and activists who had chained themselves to trees.
Security guards were on Friday unable to remove local people and activists who had chained themselves to trees.
The protesters have chained themselves to trees
Police say they cannot interfere as the dispute takes place on private land.
Activists are trying to hold out until Sunday, when an eight-month long ban on tree-felling in environmentally-sensitive areas comes into force.
In temperatures of 10 degrees below zero, some 25 local people and 15 environmental activists chained themselves to trees on the Zengo mountain peak, as yellow-clad security guards tried to move them aside.
Scuffles followed but the guards failed to take control of the area, according to activists who are taking part in the protest action.
Police arriving at the scene said they could not interfere, as there was no request from the owner of the land - in this case a local council which also opposes construction.
The security guards then withdrew.
This was the third day of the protest action to try to prevent the construction of the 18 metre-high tower.
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence has been planning this and two other radar stations since 1995 and have promised Nato they will be ready in 2006.
The protesters say the radar installation would spoil an area of great natural beauty and have appealed to Nato to reconsider.
They believe that if they can hold out until Sunday, when regulations come into force preventing tree-felling in environmentally-sensitive areas until October, they can win more time.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told the BBC that it's now up to the construction company to find a way to fulfil their contract.
plagarised in its entirity from by nobody in particular
Police say they cannot interfere as the dispute takes place on private land.
Activists are trying to hold out until Sunday, when an eight-month long ban on tree-felling in environmentally-sensitive areas comes into force.
In temperatures of 10 degrees below zero, some 25 local people and 15 environmental activists chained themselves to trees on the Zengo mountain peak, as yellow-clad security guards tried to move them aside.
Scuffles followed but the guards failed to take control of the area, according to activists who are taking part in the protest action.
Police arriving at the scene said they could not interfere, as there was no request from the owner of the land - in this case a local council which also opposes construction.
The security guards then withdrew.
This was the third day of the protest action to try to prevent the construction of the 18 metre-high tower.
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence has been planning this and two other radar stations since 1995 and have promised Nato they will be ready in 2006.
The protesters say the radar installation would spoil an area of great natural beauty and have appealed to Nato to reconsider.
They believe that if they can hold out until Sunday, when regulations come into force preventing tree-felling in environmentally-sensitive areas until October, they can win more time.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told the BBC that it's now up to the construction company to find a way to fulfil their contract.
plagarised in its entirity from by nobody in particular
By Nick Thorpe BBC Budapest
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
hold on people!!!!
14.02.2004 06:13
Keep doin your best to protect the forest and stave off nato and the military, I know you are. My support goes out to you, wish i could do more for your struggle.
Best of luck,
stu.
stu
e-mail:
stuartmelvin2@hotmail.com
nice one
15.02.2004 03:16
And if any of you fancy a holiday, we could really do with you in Blackwood, I think ;)
Love,
bob
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !!!!!!!!
25.10.2004 22:16
Boguslaw
e-mail:
boguslaw@bmuz.com