02:48Protesters were seen surrounding the territory of the closed Cobre Panama copper mine in Punta Rincon owned by the Canadian multinational First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to demand a definite closure of the facility.
"Climate justice is social justice. This is not something that is disconnected from each other. Really the impact of extractivism on our soil affects us all," Audrey Baxter, a member of Ya es Ya Panama said.
Drone footage shows activists from various unions and collectives on speedboats navigating the area around the mine. The video also shows the demonstrators on the boats and a rally in a protest camp.
"We demonstrate directly from the port of Punta Rincon, where the [Panamanian] government still maintains the air-naval service in a practically aggressive manner against us. Today, we are doing a civic act for them, our behaviour has always been civic," said a member of the collective against mining awakens Belisario Rodrigue.
Another activist, Tita Marin, recounted the demonstrations 'to defend each of our community's rights' which ultimately led to the halt of the mine's operations
"We got together, turned the ship around, tried to stop them, confronted the airships, and from then on we returned every day until the mine bunker was stopped and no more ships entered," she added.
In October and November 2023, Panamanians took to the streets in a mass mobilisation which lasted more than a month in response to an illegal contract between the First Quantum Minerals (FQM), and the government allowing the firm to continue operating the controversial copper mine. Although operations were halted, the company has not completely closed the mine according to media reports.
Cobre Panama copper mine has halted operations since last December when the supreme court ruled the contract between the company and the government as unconstitutional.
Activists are concerned about the impact of the mine on the environment claiming that approximately 130,000 tonnes of toxic copper ore which can damage the human's respiratory system has remained at the mine.
'Extractivism on our soil affects us all' - Climate activists surround 'closed' Canadian copper mine with boats in anti-govt protest
Protesters were seen surrounding the territory of the closed Cobre Panama copper mine in Punta Rincon owned by the Canadian multinational First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to demand a definite closure of the facility.
"Climate justice is social justice. This is not something that is disconnected from each other. Really the impact of extractivism on our soil affects us all," Audrey Baxter, a member of Ya es Ya Panama said.
Drone footage shows activists from various unions and collectives on speedboats navigating the area around the mine. The video also shows the demonstrators on the boats and a rally in a protest camp.
"We demonstrate directly from the port of Punta Rincon, where the [Panamanian] government still maintains the air-naval service in a practically aggressive manner against us. Today, we are doing a civic act for them, our behaviour has always been civic," said a member of the collective against mining awakens Belisario Rodrigue.
Another activist, Tita Marin, recounted the demonstrations 'to defend each of our community's rights' which ultimately led to the halt of the mine's operations
"We got together, turned the ship around, tried to stop them, confronted the airships, and from then on we returned every day until the mine bunker was stopped and no more ships entered," she added.
In October and November 2023, Panamanians took to the streets in a mass mobilisation which lasted more than a month in response to an illegal contract between the First Quantum Minerals (FQM), and the government allowing the firm to continue operating the controversial copper mine. Although operations were halted, the company has not completely closed the mine according to media reports.
Cobre Panama copper mine has halted operations since last December when the supreme court ruled the contract between the company and the government as unconstitutional.
Activists are concerned about the impact of the mine on the environment claiming that approximately 130,000 tonnes of toxic copper ore which can damage the human's respiratory system has remained at the mine.
Protesters were seen surrounding the territory of the closed Cobre Panama copper mine in Punta Rincon owned by the Canadian multinational First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to demand a definite closure of the facility.
"Climate justice is social justice. This is not something that is disconnected from each other. Really the impact of extractivism on our soil affects us all," Audrey Baxter, a member of Ya es Ya Panama said.
Drone footage shows activists from various unions and collectives on speedboats navigating the area around the mine. The video also shows the demonstrators on the boats and a rally in a protest camp.
"We demonstrate directly from the port of Punta Rincon, where the [Panamanian] government still maintains the air-naval service in a practically aggressive manner against us. Today, we are doing a civic act for them, our behaviour has always been civic," said a member of the collective against mining awakens Belisario Rodrigue.
Another activist, Tita Marin, recounted the demonstrations 'to defend each of our community's rights' which ultimately led to the halt of the mine's operations
"We got together, turned the ship around, tried to stop them, confronted the airships, and from then on we returned every day until the mine bunker was stopped and no more ships entered," she added.
In October and November 2023, Panamanians took to the streets in a mass mobilisation which lasted more than a month in response to an illegal contract between the First Quantum Minerals (FQM), and the government allowing the firm to continue operating the controversial copper mine. Although operations were halted, the company has not completely closed the mine according to media reports.
Cobre Panama copper mine has halted operations since last December when the supreme court ruled the contract between the company and the government as unconstitutional.
Activists are concerned about the impact of the mine on the environment claiming that approximately 130,000 tonnes of toxic copper ore which can damage the human's respiratory system has remained at the mine.