Local villagers from the north-west village of Pungeşti, who are opposing Chevron, were attacked by the riot police, and illegally arrested, in a brutal attempt by the riot police to clear the way so that the corporation can start exploring for shale gas, using hydraulic fracturing.

Activists who have been resisting Chevron for almost three months now set up a camp across the field where Chevron was granted access by the Romanian government. The riot police acted illegally since the resistance camp was set up on the property of one of the villagers. Three people were badly injured and were taken to the hospital. Local people have been constantly attacked by the riot police, at least 40 people were beaten, arrested and threatened with jail. Even the Romanian prime-minister threatened locals with 15 years of jail time, though he absolutely has no right to do that. The riot police totally blocked any access to the Pungeşti village. Nobody is allowed in or out, a military-type decision which is violating basic human rights. Not even their children are allowed to go to school. Local people say this is a war against them led by the government on behalf of Chevron. No media are allowed to enter the village, which is something that has never happened in years in a country where authoritarian leaders often had to pretend to save at least some democratic appearances and refrained to impose a visible censorship on media. Chevron returned to Pungeşti after a few weeks ago when they announced they would back off, but then the Romanian prime-minister insisted they should not and uttered threats against the local people to leave Chevron do their business. Protests across Romania are to be organized on December 3rd, in cities like Cluj-Napoca, Bucureşti, Timişoara, in solidarity with the people of Pungeşti. People are organizing themselves to go to Pungeşti to protect the villagers from the riot police. Days ago, Chevron met the opposition of the people from south-east Romanian town of Mangalia. They were granted licence to explore for shale gas at the shore of the Black Sea, which is going to destroy the beach and cut off people’s chance to make a living from the summer tourism, their only chance to make a living in a country where unemployment is rampant. Chevron were told by the people of Mangalia to go home and never return:

In a few hours after the riot police attacked the villagers from Pungeşti, 7,000 people signed a petition addressed to the international community to save the villagers from Chevron and the Romanian government.