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Magdalena Maleeva Forest Act
Last year's protests
which saw so many people out at the Orlov Most bridge in Sofia
were caused by the proposed Forest Act.
They were one of the best things that's ever happened to me,
because I saw so many friends there.
I realized how many people shared my views.
That gave me hope that
there's a critical mass which can affect silly policies.
Those weren't even policies, they merely catered to certain people.
The proposed Forest Act would not just destroy the forest,
it'd make a single person or company a monopoly in mountains and forests.
The news that evening showed some people fighting.
Well - I was there and I can say the mood was great.
The police were very kind, we smiled at them, chatted with them.
But if you trust what was shown in the, let's say 'mainstream' media,
you'd be left to believe there were some extremists there,
and fighting too...
I found that very interesting:
how news is made and who decides what to include in it.
It was absolutely unrealistic.
I was in my sixth or seventh month of pregnancy then.
No-one showed me on TV.
It's great that we have social networks
and can share what's going on in real time.
Thanks to our cellphones, we could get a much truer picture
of who was there at the protest and what they were doing.
In the debate on forests,
I'd like to see more people reflect on what forests are.
They aren't a place we enjoy going to because it's nice and pleasant.
Forests are a vital factor for our survival, health, wellbeing.
Forests provide us with services which no-one pays for.
For instance, they purify the air,
they purify the soil,
protect against floods...
And if the trees are gone, our life quality will be much poorer.
That's why I don't see the point when people say they'll be doing business.
What sort of business can it be? Destroying something vital?
Magdalena Maleeva Forest Act