Castelo Branco, Portugal, Dec. 16, (Lusa) - The Portuguese Platform for the Defence of the Tejo Internacional Natural Park wants to bring the people of the Beira Baixa region to the capital, Lisbon, at the beginning of the year, thereby intensifying their protest against the installation of mega solar power plants in the region.
Samuel Infante, one of the platform's promoters, explained to Lusa that the aim is to amplify the voices that are against the "black blanket" that is covering Beira Baixa.
"We want to bring local councillors, cultural associations and others, even some sheep and farmers, to show Lisbon that there is life here, there is an economy, culture, projects and a diversity of activities that bring life to the region and cannot be jeopardised in the name of an energy model that is not green," he insists.
The Platform for the Defence of the Tejo Internacional Natural Park is aligned with other civic movements and environmental organisations that have spoken out against photovoltaic power plant projects, especially the Sophia project, due to its size, as it plans to install 1.36 million photovoltaic solar panels. But added to this are Beira and a number of smaller projects, which together will have "serious environmental, social and economic impacts".
After a demonstration in the capital on Saturday, in which around 300 people took part, Samuel Infante explained that today "the delegation was smaller, with around 30 people, but in January we want to be 3,000 or 30,000. We want to have a mass representation from Beira Baixa in the capital to clearly say that we do not agree with these projects in the way they are being conducted".
On Saturday, "we only managed to get one bus and many people travelled by train, but we were still very well received in Lisbon. And on the march between Santa Apolónia and Parliament, people approached us, expressing their solidarity with our cause, supporting us and giving us strength to continue".
This was also the message they tried to convey to some entities, but at the first stop, the headquarters of Lightsource BP, "the door didn't even open."
At the European Union's representation in Portugal, "we were not received on Monday, but they informed us that they will respond to our request to schedule a meeting on this issue soon".
At the ministry for the environment, "we just made our presence felt, to emphasise our position while we await a response from the Portuguese Environment Agency to our participation in the public consultation".
Monday's trip ended once again at the door of Parliament, where in January they hope to bring a mass representation from Beira Baixa, with the assurance that "the issue will not be forgotten, nor will the people of Beira Baixa give up this fight".
LYB/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
