Thousands march in Bucharest in defense of Romania’s forests

Over 2,000 people gathered in downtown Bucharest on the evening of November 3 to march in defense of the country’s forests and denounce violence against forest rangers, Agerpres reported.

The march, organized by NGOs Declic, Agent Green and Greenpeace, started in University Square and went through Mihail Kogălniceanu Square to reach the Water and Forests Ministry.

Those taking part in the march carried placards with messages such as “All for forests”, “Stop the lumber mafia”or “Forests save the environment”.

“Romania’s forests are running out of time! The recent data in the National Forestry Inventory show that illegal logging takes place at an unprecedented pace. After it, we are left with exposed mountain peaks, landslides, disastrous flooding, desert areas, mafia-style killings of forest rangers, divided communities that are left exposed to extreme climate events. We are requesting the immediate modernization of the Automated System for Lumber Tracking (SUMAL), of the citizen app The Forest Inspector, and the rigorous protection of the primary and secular protests of Romania,” the organizers of the march wrote on the Facebook page dedicated to the event.

The environment NGOs are also requesting measures such as the satellite monitoring of forests, an electronic registry for wood deposits, compulsory GPS tracking for lumber-carrying means of transportation, and video surveillance cameras in key points of the road network and at deposits.

Similar protests took place on the evening of November 3 in other cities in Romania, among them Cluj-Napoca, Braşov, Bistriţa, and Iaşi.

(Photo: Catalin Georgescu/ Greenpeace Romania Facebook Page)