This is a joint statement of a number of environmental groups that met in Thessaloniki as part of a caravan against mining and war. Read our full report on the caravan here
From 2 to 5 December we held a meeting of environmental activists from Turkey, Romania and Greece in Thessaloniki, Greece. After a series of events, actions, discussions, exchange of views and experiences from the struggles against mining, we decided to declare our common decisions and will to collaborate on the following points:
- We fight against mining, which pollutes and destroys not only local ecosystems but also wider areas, damages the health of workers and residents as well, and also significantly contributes to the climate crisis. What is more, due to the intensification of extreme weather conditions, caused by the climate crisis, entire areas where mining takes place are at risk of major ‘natural’ disasters (floods, etc.).
- We fight against all mining multinationals (and their local partners). These companies operate solely for profit, with defiant disregard for the protection of the environment and the inhabitants. We declare that we will fight as peoples against Eldorado Gold’s gold mining plans everywhere. – At the same time, we denounce the governments which, on the altar of profit, “development” and “investment”, are handing over entire regions to mining companies on colonial terms, while allowing them to operate unchecked, with virtually no control even over basic measures of protection of the environment and workers.
- We stand in solidarity with all the militant movements that oppose mining and are subjected to harsh repression by close collaboration between governments, companies, the police and the judiciary.
- The struggle against mining is also a struggle against war. The deepening economic crisis is exacerbating geopolitical rivalries, the struggle for domination over energy reserves and raw materials, the arms race and the intensification of nationalist confrontations. More and more regions are experiencing the horrors of war while we are on the verge of a general period of intensification of military conflicts throughout the world. The peoples who share the land, sea and air in our region are not enemies, we have nothing to divide, nor do we want to fight and become cannon fodder. Solidarity and the common struggle of the peoples against the interests of the capitalists and their governments is our weapon!
- In the coming period, we will coordinate our actions against Eldorado Gold and the gold mining companies operating in our region. We plan to hold a “Day against Eldorado Gold mining” in order to join forces. The struggle for land and freedom is common and knows no borders!
Our struggle continues…
Struggle Committee of Thessaloniki against gold mining
Struggle Committee of Megali Panagia
Μας σκάβουν τον λάκκο (the greek coordination of the joint initiative against extractions and war in Turkey-Greece-Cyprus)
Mining Watch Romania
Climate Justice Coalition Turkey
Kazma Birak (the turkish coordination of the joint initiative against extractions and war in Turkey-Greece-Cyprus)
