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Protesters urge World Bank to halt oil funding |
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| EU: October 30, 2001 | ||
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BRUSSELS - Environmental group Friends of the Earth held a protest in Brussels yesterday against World Bank funding of oil, gas and mining projects in developing nations.
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About 20 protesters, dressed in blue overalls and pretending to have a permit to start a gold mine in the city centre, briefly blocked an area outside a hotel where World Bank officials were meeting. "World Bank clean up! Get out of oil, mining and gas," a banner said. No one was detained in the peaceful protest. The group says World Bank projects including a copper mine in Peru, oil drilling in Chad and a pipeline across Cameroon will cause too much pollution and disrupt local societies. "These projects will not help the World Bank's goal of eliminating poverty," Friends of the Earth repesentative Johan Frijns told a news conference. He said the World Bank should direct more of its lending to renewable energy like solar or wind power. The World Bank meeting, including groups ranging from mining companies to environmentalists, was a first step in a review of its projects in oil, gas and mining. The review is due to come up with recommendations in late 2002.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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