An open, grassy field near the village of Varvara, on the southern Black Sea coast, was the gathering site for about 100 people. The spot was marked by a sign on the nearby road indicating the start of Strandja National Park (NP). On August 18 about 40 environmentalists from the all over Bulgaria gathered there and formed a so-called “life chain” surrounding the park boarders. French tourists also took part in the protest. The environmentalists used this action to symbolise that they are ready to protect the park, even with their unprotected bodies if necessary.

The life chain followed the boarders of the park, as defined by Tsarevo municipality’s Regional Development Plan. The chain started at the place where sea meets land; after 30m it crossed the Tsarevo-Varvara road and then proceeded to the edge of the forest.

As part of this protest, the environmental activists presented their four demands to the authorities: to the Ministry of Environmental and Water Affairs (MOEW) to approve a plan for the NP management, and Tsarevo municipality to co-operate with the process; to the National Construction Control Directorate to demolish the illegally built holiday village Golden Pearl, owned by the company Crash 2000; to the MOEW to approve orders for the protection regulations of all the territories in Strandja Mountain, which are also part of the European environmental network Natura 2000 according to Cabinet Decree N122 from February 17 2007; and to the Ministry of Interior to stop “harassing the environmentalists and stop seeing them as criminals”.

The environmental activists who gathered at the NP boarders also danced the horo, the Bulgarian national dance, accompanied by traditional bagpipes and a wooden flute, and sang a Strandja folk anthem.

Surprisingly, at the protect location, another group of people had gathered. They were the local landowners whose lands fall within the borders of the park. The owners seemed quite tense and angry and even though they had no permission to protest, the police did not do anything to prevent them from putting up their posters. They held two posters saying “Stop the ecological terrorism in our region.

We want exact boarders to the protected areas in our region. European funds – a stimulus for ecologists with mercenary motives” and “Ecologists and landowners from Ahtopol-Varvara-Sinemorets, the ruling are grossly disregarding our rights. We want a legal document proving that our lands are within the parks boarders”. The local landowners started verbal fights with the environmentalists, saying that no one can tell them what to do with their land and “if you want to rest by the sea, you will have to pay”. They seemed quite frustrated and accused the ecologists of being paid to protest about the protection of Strandja. At the end of the protests, after shouting abuse at the environmentalists, one of the local landowners invited them in his house for dinner.

Tsarevo municipality has already blocked the approval of the Strandja NP management plan for two years. The environmentalists said that after the the MOEW had had no success in putting the plan in operation during this time, they were trying to provoke the authorities to do their job. They said the park management plan would protect it from “the threats to its boarders”. “Until the plan is approved, cases similar to the one with Crash 2000 will still be possible and indirectly supported by the MOEW, which, by being slow, is giving investors the green light to build in the park,” the environmental activists said. They said they wanted “intelligent management” of Strandja.

The citizens who wanted clarification of the Strandja protected area status said that they were also troubled by the construction activities of Boro Sport, which have been started within Rila Park. The park has a much higher protection rate according Bulgarian legislation. Boro Sport is building a road and plans to construct a lift in the Seven Rila Lakes area. On August 20, environmentalists gathered at this construction site as well and stopped the machines working for a while. They insisted that an immediate check should be carried out on the legality of the construction.