We need action now! Romanian citizens joined forces in the street to protest for better protection of Europe’s last primary and old-growth forests

More than 4.000 people in Bucharest and several thousand from other cities in Romania and also in Europe protested on Sunday, 03rd November, against illegal logging and criminal violence on forest rangers in Romania.

The Forest March, a peaceful protest, was initiated and organized by three Romanian environmental organizations – Greenpeace, Agent Green and Declic. Additionally, other protests were voluntarily initiated in more than 20 other Romanian and European cities such as Brasov, Cluj, Timisoara, Corabia, Iasi and Zürich.
People marched toward the ministry and chanted „Thieves” and „Ministry of deforastation” and carrying signs which said „Forest is life”, „Stop the logging mafia” and „Climate emergency”.

The current Romanian forests situation is critical and time is running out to save these natural treasures in Romania. Protesters requests that Romanian authorities act immediately and push harder against illegal logging of these precious forests. According to the PRIMOFARO report (commissioned by Euronatur), Romania still shelters more than 500.000 ha of primary and old-growth forests. These are extremly valuable forests, for biodiverstiy conservationa and for climate security as well as for different supports for the livelihodd of the local population. For this reason, many Romanians joined forces in the street and asked the Ministry of Water and Forests to put an end to illegal logging and to strictly protect the big Romanian parts of Europe’s last primary and old-growth forest.

The Forest Rally had an enormous international echo, big media like BBC and Reuters have written about this green movement and also environmentalist Leonardo Di Caprio shared a picture on his Instagram page/account expressing concern about the serious situation in Romania.