Detta är ett pressmeddelande som Skiftet skickar idag till brittiska medier. Detta till följd av att de efterlyst mer kapital för att möjliggöra sina destruktiva gruvplaner i Gállok. Du kan läsa mer på svenska i Tor Tuordas namninsamling på MittSkifte.org.
Press release for immediate release, 22 February 2023 – sent from Sweden
British firm puts own share value at risk to enable protested mine on Indigenous territory in Sweden
Upon the news of Beowulf Mining’s discount retail offer and reported fall in share prices, locals in Sweden and Sápmi are commenting on the risks new investors will take on beyond the financial aspect. As the company’s retail offer closes tomorrow (Feb 23), new comments echo decade long protests regarding the company’s human rights impacts.
UK based Beowulf Mining is heavily criticised for its Kallak mining plans on Indigenous lands in Sápmi (within the Swedish borders, in an area known to the local Indigenous Sámi people as Gállok). The company’s plans put at risk the livelihood of many Sámi communities in the area, as well as the status of Laponia as a UNESCO world heritage. Protests have stretched from civil disobedient blockades, to Indigenous artistic interventions, to reports by the UN. [1]
In a protest with 80 000+ signatures, people stood up against the mining plans in 2022. [2] The petition was initiated by Tor Tuorda, a Sámi local and professional photographer who lives in the area. He comments on the news about Beowulf Mining’s current discount:
“It’s clear to me that Beowulf Mining is desperate at this point – their plan has always been very short sighted. They have no connection to this place and are completely alienated from the lands here”, says Tor.
Tor Tuorda has documented the conflict around Gállok (Kallak in Swedish) in his documentary “Gállok – kampen i Sameland” which was broadcasted on Swedish national television. The protests have been thoroughly documented in media and films throughout the years, including the film “The Gállok Rebellion” from 2014 which is accessible on Youtube with English subtitles. [3]
“Beowulf Mining’s mining prospects are far from a done deal, and any investors should be very cautious about the impacts they are contributing to”, comments Olivia Linander from the Swedish organisation Skiftet, who have been supporting Tor’s work.
She continues: “The Swedish government may have approved one of their applications, but it is highly unlikely this mine will get past future permit applications and the growing protest movements here.”
A new protest initiative was just launched a couple of weeks ago, where those supporting the protests are signing up to join future civil disobedience blockades to prevent Beowulf Mining’s plans from ever taking place. [4]
Simultaneously, the local Indigenous reindeer herding community Jåhkågaska tjiellde are planning to take on the Swedish state in court to challenge the plans of Beowulf mining. [5]
“The resistance isn’t fading away, that’s for sure”, says Olivia Linander from Skiftet. “Meanwhile, British bank HSBC acts as custodian nominee shareholder for a majority of Beowulf Mining shares. That means over three billion British pounds in share capital. I think people in the UK deserve to know what British banks are enabling on Indigenous lands abroad.”
For those looking to make investments that will contribute to protecting Gállok, one counter move promoted by the local resistance is to donate to Jåhkågaska tjiellde’s court case on their website gallok.se. [6]
[1] Banktrack, “Dodgy Deal – Kallak iron ore mine”: https://www.banktrack.org/project/kallak_iron_ore_mine
UN, ”Sweden: Open pit mine will endanger indigenous lands and the environment – UN experts”: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/02/sweden-open-pit-mine-will-endanger-indigenous-lands-and-environment-un
[2] Petition by Tor Tuorda, “Stop the mine in Gállok”: https://www.mittskifte.org/petitions/stop-the-mine-in-gallok
[3] “Gállok – kampen i Sameland” by Tor Tuorda
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/gallokkampenomsameland
“The Gállok Rebellion” by Kolonierna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92MZUgczve4
[4] Announcement by Gruvfritt Jokkmokk: https://www.instagram.com/p/CopF1fZsltT/
[5] Svenska Dagbladet, “Sameby vill ha ny prövning av Kallakgruvan”: https://www.svd.se/a/g6MM49/sameby-vill-ha-ny-provning-om-kallakgruvan
[6] The website of Sámi reindeer herding community Jåhkågaska tjiellde: https://gallok.se/en-gb/