2013 – Page 2 – Ecotopia Biketour

Stanciova and the Price of Gold

kate September 18, 2013 October 28, 2013

After vising Atelier DIY in Timisoara, we made the short afternoon cycle 35km along a busy dual road, but luckily it was flat and with some kind of bikepath, of which the main features of the landscape were gigantic crucifixes in the distance. As we turned off for the last 10km it became vineyards, rolling hills, and the setting sun. We reached our sleeping place at Stanciova Farm just as it was getting dark, arriving to a warm welcome, an open fire and delicious home cooked food by Irina and Gab with vegetables from their garden and beautiful cup cakes!!!…

Biketour supports struggles against Gold Mine in Rosia Montana

leule September 16, 2013 October 28, 2013

In the last few weeks, a huge wave of protests has hit all parts of Romania (and beyond) since September as people fight against a catastrophic gold mining project in Rosia Montana, close to Cluj. This project has been initiated by the Canadian-owned Rosia Montana Gold Corporation and would be the largest gold mine in Europe. The project would use cyanide-mining techniques requiring thousands of tonnes of the dangerous chemical, which would have massive impacts on the environment of the whole region. Or better to say, on that part of the region that would still be left; the project would…

Biketour supports Worker Run Factory Struggle: Jugoremedija

kate September 12, 2013 October 31, 2013

In Zrenjanin we met up with some of the ex workers from a long standing worker owned factory struggle at Jugoremedija, that has been under threat of Privatization since 2000. Serbian politicians and investors fear this kind of organising, despite being sucessful, will “bring us back to the dark days of self-management”. You can read an English write up of the history of the struggle, and similar struggles in Serbia, in the above link. We spent one night hosted in the garden of a library that was donated to the council by the author of serval books about the resistance…

Every Day Action at Inex Film: Beograd

kate September 12, 2013 October 28, 2013

On entering Belgrade (8th September) we met up with some of the local Critical Mass crew along the Danube, led by a Serbian Biketour veteran, who showed us some of the problems for cyclists that are squeezed off the roads by heavy car and summer pedestrian traffic. Our mini Critical Mass ended on the outskirts of Belgrade, at the ex cinematography factory, now a thriving squatted social center where we were to be hosted called Inex Film. The huge building at Inex was once left abandoned, and squatted by various characters, latterly artists and activists who revived it from being…