Muhammet Kaçar- Adem Güngör / Artvin, Feb 17 () - Backup police and gendarmerie teams were deployed to Cerattepe in Black Sea province of Artvin, while locals’ protest against mining efforts of a company have been intervened by tear gas and batons.

Meanwhile, on early Feb. 17 marking the second day of protests, along with additional police forces, a military unit was deployed at a distant location to the protest scene.

“We have been resisting in the last 20 years. We understand that the intervention will be different today. We do not have any guns or armament. We defend living creatures’ right to live with our bodies. The Artvin people shows an extraordinary resistance. We will resume the resistance, today as well” said Green Artvin Association Head Neşe Karahan.

Some 300 vehicles of locals have blocked the road to halt the access of company’s heavy equipment and vehicles on Feb. 16. Thousands of locals and NGOs have been waiting on hills, staying the night by lighting fires, in a bid to watch and protect the nature.

Police teams have intervened with tear gas two times in a row yesterday, when the protest flared out. While police teams towed locals’ cars to open the traffic, around 300 people set a barricade by stones, woods and garbage cans. “We will win by resisting” chanted protesters behind the barricade.

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- Police intervention in Artvin

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