И още нещо:
Borislav Sandov
Вижте какво получихме по пощата от Ню Йорк:
Dear European friends,
Yesterday, 23 January, many hundreds of New York anti-fracking activists rallied at the state capitol in Albany and then met with their state senators and assembly members.
... These kinds of rallies and lobby days have been going on periodically for the past three years here in New York, as the state government continues to consider whether or not to lift our de facto state moratorium.
Yesterday's event was notable for two reasons.
First, the message of the anti-fracking groups here in NY has shifted more firmly toward demanding an outright ban. As one of the speakers at the rally, I echoed this message in my own remarks, which are attached here. (Feel free to circulate.)
My intent was to connect anti-fracking efforts with New York's proud tradition of uncompromising abolitionism regarding slavery. One of our state's historical heros is the escaped slave Harriet Tubman who served as a spy for the Union army during the Civil War and secretly helped other slaves to escape from the South, conducting them via the Underground Railroad, to safety in Canada. (Many people here in New York are very proud to live in old homes that once served station stops on the underground railroad and which contain secret rooms where runaway slaves were hidden.)
Many speakers, including me and filmmaker Josh Fox, referenced the happy victory of anti-fracking efforts in Bulgaria.
Second, a highlight of the day was our "bread parade." For this, we were directly inspired by our counterparts in Bulgaria. We closely watched the protest videos and public service announcements that preceded the good news from that nation and decided to replicate the march of the bread loaves.
Our breads were carried in a lively procession--led by New York farmers--that wound through the corridors and stair wells of the Legislative Office Building and into the great rotunda outside the Governor Cuomo's offices. There, the loaves were ceremoniously piled on a white cloth as a gift to the governor and as a symbol of the abundance of New York agriculture and all that we seek to protect through a ban on fracking.
After much chanting--"break bread! not shale!"--a staff member came out of the governor's inner offices, accepted a loaf of bread, and listened to our concerns.
The baker, miller, and farmer all involved in the creation of these bread loaves were present, and baker Stefan Senders spoke at the rally.
Thank you for the inspiration, Bulgaria, the Harriet Tubman of fracking. May your success be replicated here and everywhere.
Gladly,
Sandra