[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Guardian

Climate Alliance call off weekly Xiomeran Embassy protests after ‘victory’
16th November 2019

Climate Alliance Lauchenoiria have called off the weekly demonstrations which have been taking place outside the Xiomeran embassy since August every Wednesday. This comes after news from Xiomera that the controversial plan to develop Manauia Island, a protected nature reserve, has been significantly altered. The protests were sparked after environmental groups condemned the Xiomeran government for the plans, which they said would lead to biodiversity loss and have a detrimental impact on the environment.

Empress Yauhmi announced on Wednesday that the Manauia Island project would be scaled back to a “much more sustainable level”. Under the previous plan, the entire island would be open to development, however the new plan will only permit development on one third of the island, and all development will be required to meet strict sustainability measures. The other two thirds will remain as “protected zones”, with one third being turned into a national park, and the remaining third being an autonomous homeland for the indigenous Teyatia people.

The protests, which have taken place every Wednesday outside the Xiomeran Embassy since the 28th August, were mostly peaceful, however several incidents took place during them. On two separate occasions, police had to forcibly remove and arrest protesters who chained themselves to the entrance to prevent individuals entering or exiting the embassy. Protesters one week also climbed the embassy building to drop a banner. In what was the most widely known incident, thanks to a video circling on social media, Ambassador Chēmā also had a milkshake thrown at her.

A spokesperson from Climate Alliance said: “the fact the Xiomeran government have changed their tune is a great victory for all environmental campaigners around the world. Activists on Manauia Island and abroad have fought hard to prevent this destructive development, and we are thankful that so many have continued to make their voices heard. In light of the Xiomerans commitment to sustainability, we no longer need to come out every week. This is a great victory for the world today.”

Nōlinyauh, the Xiomeran Secretary for International Affairs told the Lauchenoirian Guardian: “The Xiomeran Government is pleased to hear that the disruptive and unnecessary protests that targeted our embassy and diplomatic personnel are being brought to an end. We hope for more productive and less confrontational dialogue in the future."