1987. június (74-86. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
Im&íassisi ál 24/0 littl* R«»*«ll 5(re«t, LONDONI, ItfC.t T*I.O<-4*0 a< J« • G. kro**<A 82/1987/E/ 24th June, 1987 Austrian "Greens" fór the Danube A név/ protest has been launched against the projected construction of the Bős-Hag;/maros hydraulic power-station. On the 19th of June, Friday morning five members of group "Global 2ooo", an Austrian organization fór environmental protection, three mén and tv/o v/omen accompanied by three journalists from Austria simbolically occupied the premises of the Austrian embassy in Budapest's Benczúr Street where they stayed on until 5 pm Saturday afternoon. Hungárián and Austrian news agencies made no mention of the event bút detailed accounts v/ere given by the participating environmental protectionists and joumalists, notably by Gabi Pröchlich and Ingmar Föbahrt. "Global 2ooo" has fór somé time called attention to itself by its spectecular bút non-violent undertakings. At the time of the building of the Hainburg hydraulic power-station they protested by fixing a protesting banner on top of Vienna's St Stephen's cathedral. Other banners were placed on factories' smokestacks in protestation against industrial pollution by large industrial enterprise. They have justified their protest action by expressing the opinion which coincides with the views of many experts that the projected dam v/ould seriously hanti natural environment, and that Hungary's share of building expenses had mostly been covered by a 5.6 billión shilling contribution by Austrian banks, guaranteed by the Austrian Government. Members of the "Global 2ooo" arrived at the Austrian embassy in Budapest on the 19th of June at 9:3o am and asked fór an interview v/ith the Austrian ambassador. They v/ere told that this v/as nőt possible, v/herupon they refused to leave the building. Eventually the ambassador turnéd up and was presented with four demands by the environmental protectionists: /!/ Austria should set up an independent committee of experts to investigate the possibly harmful ecological consequences and to cease financing the project pending the committee’s dec ision. /2/ Austria should discontinue both financial and practical help tov/ards the construction of the hydraulic pov/er-station until the committee’s report is completed. /3/ The Austrian government should cancel its guarantee on the loan that had been granted according to what is ironically described as "Lex Nagymaros". /4/ The Austrian government should revise its energy politics. Members of the group "Global 2ooo" announced that they v/ould nőt leave the embassy until these questions had been satis- factorily answered. They pitched a bilingual banner on the embassy’s balcony which read: "Savé the Danube!" In the mean- time the three journalists left to report on the event. The environmental protectionists spent the night in sleeping- bags in the foyer of the embassy and left the building at 5 pm Saturday afternoon after receiving assurancies that they would be able to negotiate with responsible government ministers
