After more than a year of absence from the square in front of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers the citizens who support the Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria decided to knock on the doors of The Realm Of The Unrestricted Power and to remind that the problems surrounding the implementation of the European environmental network in Bulgaria are not only unsolved but become even worse. The event had to bring in the focus of the public attention the hearing that takes place today between the Petitions Committee by the European Parliament and citizens who have brought in petitions on the violations of the European environmental legislation in Bulgaria. Vera Petkanchin from Citizens for Rila, Andrey Kovachev from Balkani Wildlife Society and Nelly Arabadzhieva from Green Balkans have the mission to trigger accelerated procedures against these violations and against the insufficiency of the Natura 2000 network, that still does not include valuable zones like Rila Buffer and parts of Irkakli wild beach. The discussion will include also the scandalous cases like Kaliakra, Kamchiiiski pyasatsi and Strandzha.
As they were not allowed to protest in front of the Council of Ministers, the citizens did not unfold any posters but only played their last dance in front of the cameras and microphones of the media letting them know what this circus was all about. Unfortunately no ministers did enter the building through the main entrance during their presence. The citizens were also very curious about why the ministers are trying to ban such a peaceful events to happen in front of their sight with the new project of law for the meetings and protests, that will restrict any protests in the range of the building of the state administration and the national roads.
“Well, it was surely going to be interesting to get to know how people like us are endangering them and why they depriving us from our basic civil rights. What they cause themselves with this new law is only a series of illegal according to their standard protests and ever more creative events organized by us. Bulgaria is a free country and they should rethink if the criminals are the people who stand on the streets to attract their attention on certain problems or if the criminals are the governors themselves. The implementations of such measures without public discussion is a symptom of dictatorship,” stated the protesters.
The hope that Europe will react quickly and without its usual inertia.