Global Voices Online

Several environmental bloggers and activists participated in a demonstration on August 27th, against the death of more than 2000 flamingo birds in Lake Bakhtegan in Iran. They protested against the government’s indifference and violation of constitutional law. Iranian environmental bloggers tell the story of this ecological disaster and provide information about demonstration.

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Mojgan Jamshidi, blogger and journalist, writes [Fa] the blog, Didban Mohitzist (means environment watchdog). She invites friends and all people who care about a green Iran to take part in the demonstration and refuse to tolerate destruction of natural resources in the name of roads or damn constructions. She refers to the articles of the Iranian constitution that guarantee protection for the environment and says:

We should ask them - the authorities - who are responsible for upholding articles 45 and 50 of the constitution whether they think they are doing their job, when unsustainable development projects block the flow of water to thousands of animals living in Bakhtegan and Urmieh lakes, causing the death of 2000 flamingos in a very short time. We should ask the people – our deputies - who are in the Iranian parliament, whether they have commissioned even one investigation about the destruction of natural resources in the last 30 years…

Jamshidi also criticized the Judiciary authorities’ inaction against people who destroy natural parks and resources.

Greenblog says [Fa] that several bloggers and environmentalists will be mourning on Monday 27 August to protest against the death of more than 2000 flamingos. The blogger proposes several logos that bloggers can publish on their blog in solidarity with the demonstration. All logos carry a photo of a flamingo and the date and place of the demonstration is mentioned.

Mountainwatch has published a couple of photos of the demonstration. The blogger says [Fa] he met and talked to Dlavar Najafi, the deputy head of the Department for the Environment. Najafi said the Iranian president and even the Supreme Leader care about the environment. The blogger says he does not understand how all this destruction can happen when such high-ranking authorities say they care.

Some Iranian bloggers outside Iran considered this event important and wrote about it too. The Spirit of Man has linked to several photos and says:

Members of environmental NGOs protesting in front of the Iranian Department of Environment showed their dissatisfaction with the environmental policies of the current government. Most of them are unhappy with how forests, mountainous areas and natural resources of the country are being destroyed and not being cared for properly.