For years, farmers, villagers, and environmental activists have been protesting the pollution of rivers, topsoil, and aquifers by mining operations in Lori, Syunik, and other regions. Readers of Hetq are aware that the protests have been building. Mining is one of several flashpoints of environmental activism in Armenia, and the environment is one of several flashpoints in the escalating struggle against the consequences of capitalist rule in Armenia. (For a nice run-down of developments and a list of further sources, see: Dr. Armine Ishkanian, “Civil Society, Development, and Environmental Activism in Armenia,” 2013, http://eprints.lse.ac.uk.)

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