Hundreds demonstrate against mining in Arctic Sweden
Hundreds of people travelled from Sweden’s Arctic this weekend to demonstrate against what they call the unsustainable “mining boom” in the North.
In all, there were about 500 people protesting in the centre of Stockholm, according to May-Britt Öhman, of the Swedish Sami Association.
“I’m doing this for the coming generations”, says the president of the indigenous Sami parliament, Stefan Mikaelsson.
Environmentalists and indigenous groups say mining companies are given permits to excavate too easily, at the expense of activities including traditional reindeer herding.
The tax on mining in Sweden is 0.5 percent of the value of the extracted ore.
Related stories from around the Arctic:
Canada: Arctic mining – unexpected social negatives for Inuit women, Radio Canada International
Greenland: Analysis: Implications of Greenland’s decision to allow uranium mining, Blog by Mia Bennett
Norway: Sustainable future for Arctic people?, from Deutsche Welle’s Iceblogger
Russia: Analysis – Putin shutters Russian indigenous peoples’, Blog by Mia Bennett
Sweden: Artists boycott market in Arctic Sweden over mining conflict, Radio Sweden
United States: Oregon mining company says it can build Arctic port for Alaska, Alaska Dispatch
