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OCCUPY: TEGHUT, MASHTOTS PARK & BEYOND
By: Razmig Sarkissian
Haytoug Magazine
June 19 2012
Local, diasporan, and even non-Armenian environmental activists
have been hard at work in Armenia these past two months. Harnessing
the organizing powers of social media platforms such as Facebook and
YouTube, these activists are mobilizing people - especially the youth -
to protest, demonstrate and occupy Teghut, the site of a controversial
open-pit mining project in Northern Armenia, and Yerevan's Mashtots
Park, where the construction of a fashion boutique threatens one of
the few remaining green areas in the city.
"OCCUPY TEGHUT" and "Ô´Õ§ÕºÕ" Ô¹Õ¥Õ²Õ¸O~BÕ¿" graffiti tags have sprung
up all around the city of Yerevan, along with videos on YouTube of
activists tagging buildings. A Facebook group called "Save Teghut"
has garnered thousands of members who post pictures, videos, news
articles, and express their frustrations with the current state of
Armenia's long neglected environment. Activists are capitalizing on
this frustration and turning it into action, aided by the ability to
quickly and efficiently mobilize demonstrators through the internet.
On January 15, the culminated into a march from Yerevan to Teghut,
led by over 200 activists , carrying banners reading "We are Teghut" to
protest the Armenian Copper Program's (ACP) plan to turn thousands of
acres of lush green forests into an open-pit mining operation. Teghut
is estimated to have 1.6 million tons of copper and 100,000 tons of
molybdenum underground.
The majority of the protesters, many of whom were in their 20's,
carried digital cameras and smartphones to document the deforestation
already taking place. It is estimated one fifth of the forest has
already been deforested by the ACP in preparation for the open-pit
mine. The protesters were joined by countless local and state media
outlets who are just now realizing the gravity of the situation.
Police stopped them from marching any further into the mining project.
Environmentalists argue the project will cause damage to the diverse
ecosystem, destruction of over 128,000 trees, and the dumping of
millions of tons of toxic chemicals and waste into nearby regions,
rivers, and water sources. They demand an immediate stop to all mining
activities, and propose turning Teghut into a tourist attraction
that makes use of the natural beauty of the region rather than
destroying it.
Teghut, located in the Armenia's northern region of Lori, is one of
the only remaining forests in the country with a diverse ecosystem
made up of hundreds of exotic animal and plant species, many of which
are internationally considered endangered.
In 2008 Armenia's government granted the Armenian Copper Program (ACP)
mining rights to 357 hectares (almost 900 acres) of the forest for
25 years, which activists in Armenia and the international community
claim this decision violates countless local and international laws.
Adding to charges of corruption, Armenia's government allowed the
ACP to perform its own environmental assessment report rather than
requiring a review from an impartial third part group. Their findings
were, unsurprisingly, that no harm would come to the region as a
result of the open-pit mining.
A bike tour organized last summer by the protesters attracted the
support of Armenian rock star Serj Tankian who wrote in a statement,
"The destruction of wildlife and environmental havens can no longer
be excused for the sake of progress or the attainment of natural
resources. Mining is against our combined interest as a people and
nation."
That same summer, a petition addressed to Armenia's President, Prime
Minister, and Parliament collected signatures of over 5,000 citizens,
including those of First Lady Rita Sarkisian and former First Lady
Bella Kocharian.
Now, the environmentalist spirit is resonating overseas close to home.
The ARF "Shant" Student Association is spearheading a "Save Teghut"
T-shirt campaign, of which all proceeds will go towards helping the
activists. In early February a panel discussion titled , "Armenia's
Environmental Challenges in the 21st Century" was organized in Pasadena
by the Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Engineers & Scientists of
America in association with AGBU Young in order to foster dialogue
about Teghut and the larger scope of environmental problems facing
Armenia.
All this momentum is spilling over into the latest set of
demonstrations taking place at Yerevan's Mashtots Park, where activists
are protesting the construction of expensive high-end fashion boutiques
in one of the few remaining green areas in Yerevan.
The activists, the very same who are protesting the developments in
Teghut, claim that the construction is illegal as it is in the middle
of a public park, and should be stopped immediately.
In the past two weeks hundreds have flocked to Mashtots Park,
filling in and around the steel frame structure where the boutique
is meant to be built. Many have roped themselves together, and some
even lied down in front of cement trucks in an effort to prevent any
more construction from taking place.
The construction crew tried to get around the protesters by waiting
until the middle of the night to resume welding and hammering. In
response, protesters are now occupying Mashtots Park day and night.
Protesters also picketed Yerevan's city hall chanting, "Parks without
boutiques," and "Taron [Yerevan's mayor] come down".
However, no official representative from the city has yet to step
forward. The city and police claim these boutiques are merely
temporary structures which will be eventually removed, which runs
contrary to the obvious fact that the boutiques are being built with
lasting materials such as concrete, bricks, and steel.
The activists are using the "Save Teghut" Facebook group to organize
people and spread information. Their latest event page calls on
people near Yerevan to bring tea, blankets, and warm food to support
the protesters who are occupying Mashtots Park in the cruel cold of
Yerevan nights.
In a surprising turn of events, President Serj Sarkisian personally
visited the park in early May. He announced that Yerevan's Mayor had
been instructed to grant the demands of the activists and dismantle
the boutiques. By May 10, all of the boutiques were torn down. This
marks yet another victory for Armenia's green movement. Still, nobody
knows where exactly this growing movement is headed. What will become
of the mining operation in Teghut in light of the victory in Mashtots
Park has yet to be determined.
Nobody knows where exactly this growing movement is headed. What will
become of the mining operation in Teghut or the boutique construction
in Mashtots park has yet to be determined. What is clear however,
is that people are finally fed up. Fed up with the government's
backdoor-dealing, oligarch-favoring, corrupt- to-the-core methods of
advancing its own interests at the expense and total disregard of its
people, its environment, and its nation's future. People are finally
refusing the status quo, finally silencing the cynics indifferent to
injustice, finally realizing the power in unity, and finally writing
what are only the opening chapters of a movement tenacious in its
demand for change in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By: Razmig Sarkissian
Haytoug Magazine
June 19 2012
Local, diasporan, and even non-Armenian environmental activists
have been hard at work in Armenia these past two months. Harnessing
the organizing powers of social media platforms such as Facebook and
YouTube, these activists are mobilizing people - especially the youth -
to protest, demonstrate and occupy Teghut, the site of a controversial
open-pit mining project in Northern Armenia, and Yerevan's Mashtots
Park, where the construction of a fashion boutique threatens one of
the few remaining green areas in the city.
"OCCUPY TEGHUT" and "Ô´Õ§ÕºÕ" Ô¹Õ¥Õ²Õ¸O~BÕ¿" graffiti tags have sprung
up all around the city of Yerevan, along with videos on YouTube of
activists tagging buildings. A Facebook group called "Save Teghut"
has garnered thousands of members who post pictures, videos, news
articles, and express their frustrations with the current state of
Armenia's long neglected environment. Activists are capitalizing on
this frustration and turning it into action, aided by the ability to
quickly and efficiently mobilize demonstrators through the internet.
On January 15, the culminated into a march from Yerevan to Teghut,
led by over 200 activists , carrying banners reading "We are Teghut" to
protest the Armenian Copper Program's (ACP) plan to turn thousands of
acres of lush green forests into an open-pit mining operation. Teghut
is estimated to have 1.6 million tons of copper and 100,000 tons of
molybdenum underground.
The majority of the protesters, many of whom were in their 20's,
carried digital cameras and smartphones to document the deforestation
already taking place. It is estimated one fifth of the forest has
already been deforested by the ACP in preparation for the open-pit
mine. The protesters were joined by countless local and state media
outlets who are just now realizing the gravity of the situation.
Police stopped them from marching any further into the mining project.
Environmentalists argue the project will cause damage to the diverse
ecosystem, destruction of over 128,000 trees, and the dumping of
millions of tons of toxic chemicals and waste into nearby regions,
rivers, and water sources. They demand an immediate stop to all mining
activities, and propose turning Teghut into a tourist attraction
that makes use of the natural beauty of the region rather than
destroying it.
Teghut, located in the Armenia's northern region of Lori, is one of
the only remaining forests in the country with a diverse ecosystem
made up of hundreds of exotic animal and plant species, many of which
are internationally considered endangered.
In 2008 Armenia's government granted the Armenian Copper Program (ACP)
mining rights to 357 hectares (almost 900 acres) of the forest for
25 years, which activists in Armenia and the international community
claim this decision violates countless local and international laws.
Adding to charges of corruption, Armenia's government allowed the
ACP to perform its own environmental assessment report rather than
requiring a review from an impartial third part group. Their findings
were, unsurprisingly, that no harm would come to the region as a
result of the open-pit mining.
A bike tour organized last summer by the protesters attracted the
support of Armenian rock star Serj Tankian who wrote in a statement,
"The destruction of wildlife and environmental havens can no longer
be excused for the sake of progress or the attainment of natural
resources. Mining is against our combined interest as a people and
nation."
That same summer, a petition addressed to Armenia's President, Prime
Minister, and Parliament collected signatures of over 5,000 citizens,
including those of First Lady Rita Sarkisian and former First Lady
Bella Kocharian.
Now, the environmentalist spirit is resonating overseas close to home.
The ARF "Shant" Student Association is spearheading a "Save Teghut"
T-shirt campaign, of which all proceeds will go towards helping the
activists. In early February a panel discussion titled , "Armenia's
Environmental Challenges in the 21st Century" was organized in Pasadena
by the Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Engineers & Scientists of
America in association with AGBU Young in order to foster dialogue
about Teghut and the larger scope of environmental problems facing
Armenia.
All this momentum is spilling over into the latest set of
demonstrations taking place at Yerevan's Mashtots Park, where activists
are protesting the construction of expensive high-end fashion boutiques
in one of the few remaining green areas in Yerevan.
The activists, the very same who are protesting the developments in
Teghut, claim that the construction is illegal as it is in the middle
of a public park, and should be stopped immediately.
In the past two weeks hundreds have flocked to Mashtots Park,
filling in and around the steel frame structure where the boutique
is meant to be built. Many have roped themselves together, and some
even lied down in front of cement trucks in an effort to prevent any
more construction from taking place.
The construction crew tried to get around the protesters by waiting
until the middle of the night to resume welding and hammering. In
response, protesters are now occupying Mashtots Park day and night.
Protesters also picketed Yerevan's city hall chanting, "Parks without
boutiques," and "Taron [Yerevan's mayor] come down".
However, no official representative from the city has yet to step
forward. The city and police claim these boutiques are merely
temporary structures which will be eventually removed, which runs
contrary to the obvious fact that the boutiques are being built with
lasting materials such as concrete, bricks, and steel.
The activists are using the "Save Teghut" Facebook group to organize
people and spread information. Their latest event page calls on
people near Yerevan to bring tea, blankets, and warm food to support
the protesters who are occupying Mashtots Park in the cruel cold of
Yerevan nights.
In a surprising turn of events, President Serj Sarkisian personally
visited the park in early May. He announced that Yerevan's Mayor had
been instructed to grant the demands of the activists and dismantle
the boutiques. By May 10, all of the boutiques were torn down. This
marks yet another victory for Armenia's green movement. Still, nobody
knows where exactly this growing movement is headed. What will become
of the mining operation in Teghut in light of the victory in Mashtots
Park has yet to be determined.
Nobody knows where exactly this growing movement is headed. What will
become of the mining operation in Teghut or the boutique construction
in Mashtots park has yet to be determined. What is clear however,
is that people are finally fed up. Fed up with the government's
backdoor-dealing, oligarch-favoring, corrupt- to-the-core methods of
advancing its own interests at the expense and total disregard of its
people, its environment, and its nation's future. People are finally
refusing the status quo, finally silencing the cynics indifferent to
injustice, finally realizing the power in unity, and finally writing
what are only the opening chapters of a movement tenacious in its
demand for change in Armenia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress