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Category: General News
Being involved with animal welfare / rights is not usually much of a happy place to be for many of us. As you can tell from the numerous articles on this site, there is very little in the way of positive news. Sadly, bad, sad unhappy news is often all we can give.
I have been in contact with Venus as always, and as from today, tomorrow ? – I am going to try and make posts a little more positive. I cant turn bad news into good, positive news; if only !, but I am going to try a slightly different approach with you, our friends and fellow animal activists, to see if we can sometimes make things in each post a little better.
It may be music, the odd bad joke, or a cartoon which I (we) hope will bring a smile to your face sometimes. We need something different sometimes, because all this continual bad stuff is not good for us, believe me; been there and worn the T shirt.
Changes will not be big, but some may be slightly different, interspersed amongst various posts. I am going to try it and see if we all feel any better with that approach.
Your feedback, which is always happily received, is always welcome – please use the reply links with any post to tell us; good or bad. This is your site as well as ours, and we welcome comments and views; plus any links you may wish to include. The odd bit of music or the odd joke does not mean that we do not care as much; we are here for one reason only; as the site says, to be a World Animals Voice. Nothing changes there.
Comment please and be part of the team.
For the animals
Regards Mark.
Campaigners call for sheep saved from capsized ship to be put out to pasture
‘They survived all this, they deserve a nice old age,’ says head of rescue team
A comfortable retirement to an all-you-can-eat grassy field seems the least that the 250 surviving sheep from the Queen Hind disaster in the Black Sea deserve. But there is still some debate over their fate, according to animal campaign groups working in Romania.
More than 14,600 sheep were on the ship, heading to Saudi Arabia on a busy animal export route, when it overturned coming out of the harbour on Sunday afternoon. All of the crew got away safely, but most of the animals are now believed to be dead.
Rescue teams, made up of animal groups and Romanian vets and police, are still working in the ship, cutting holes through the walls to reach inaccessible sections. But conditions are getting worse and the chances of finding any surviving animals are diminishing.
“You have to climb along the dark corridors, wade through the water and clamber over the sheep bodies while you search,” says Kuki Bărbuceanu of the Animal Rescue and Care charity and the Four Paws animal welfare organisation. Bărbuceanu is a veteran disaster relief operator who specialises in animal rescue.
“And then you have to get back out, but this time you are carrying a 50–60kg sheep. It is pretty exhausting work.” The smell is getting worse, and although some crew are wearing gas masks, Bărbuceanu says that interferes with the hard physical labour of carrying out sheep.
He has been working on the ship since Tuesday, when he and his crew reached the harbour. Alongside them have been vets from the veterinarian authority ANSVSA, and Romanian emergency workers. As of Thursday afternoon, 250 sheep had been rescued from the ship.
However, the ultimate fate of the surviving sheep is still in question. They are currently in quarantine and being looked after by the export company, Maria Trading. There have been some anxieties expressed by activists that the Saudi import company that bought them will reclaim them, and that they will be put on the next export ship.
Campaign groups are seeking to take the animals and find them sanctuaries where they can munch away to a peaceful old age. A statement from Maria Trading to the Guardian confirmed that they are giving food and shelter to the rescued animals and added: “The Romanian veterinary health authority is the only concerned party which will decide when and where the rescued animals will be transferred.”
Requests for comment to the veterinary authorities have not yet been returned.
“It’s what they deserve,” says Bărbuceanu. “They survived all this, they deserve a nice old age.”
Legislation currently going through the Romanian parliament would tighten regulations around the country’s live export trade, which has grown fivefold since 2000. Romania is one of the main routes out of Europe into the Middle East.
The live export trade continues to grow both inside and out of Europe, despite continued public opposition. European live animal exports rose from a value of $1bn (£800m) in 2000 to $3.3bn in 2018.
Meanwhile, MEPs in the European parliament have agreed to debate the live export trade in December, Dutch MEP Anja Hazecamp (pictured below) told the Guardian.
“There has been a lot of talk so far, but not enough action,” said Gabriel Paun of Animals International.
WAV Comment: The AR movement has been calling for a ban on live transport to be replaced by a carcase trade for the last 25 years or more – we had a saying even back then – ‘On the hook, not the hoof’. So we are really pleased to see that finally after 25 years or more of AR campaigning, people like Reineke Hameleers, Director at Eurogroup for Animals has finally decided that transporting meat and carcasses is possible –
Yes, the need for more local slaughterhouses is very much needed as part of the scheme; as much as we detest the places; more local facilities will stop the long distance transport of live animals. There is only one group to blame for the closure of many local and regional slaughterhouses; and that is the EU. Local facilities as we (in the movement) have been saying for years, greatly reduces transport distance times and is much better for animals; as they do not suffer anywhere near as much as they do going between other member states.
We have been saying this for years and years; so why now do we hear this from Eurogroup as if the penny has just dropped (as we say in the UK) – or to put it another way; ;the bleeding obvious’ !!
I guess that organisations such as this have to justify their existence; staff and salaries. Real animal people do it for free !
“It was also mentioned that this should be substantiated by a solid regulatory framework setting a maximum journey time of eight hours for animals transported for slaughter, with a derogation for shorter journey time for animals at the end of their lives. All of this should be part of a comprehensive EU strategy produced by the Commission”
– maybe somebody can correct me but did EU citizens in their droves not sign for a maximum of 8 hors a few years back ? – oh yes, the EU Commission decided otherwise to ignore the people and get into bed with the meat mafia to allow the Status Quo – no change. Sorry but ‘EU Strategy’ means that people who can decide nothing, decide that nothing can be done – and so on we go with no changes and continual calls from decent people for change. The EU Commission is utter junk; full of self important’s who think they are above the normal man; and they have some kind of right to ignore his wishes; regardless of them being paid by the people as servants of the people !
“With the passing of time, more reasons to justify a shift from transporting animals alive to a trade in carcasses and meat have emerged”.
What complete and utter rubbish; as if the past few years have suddenly been different. The movement has been giving evidence of the cruelty and abuse of the live trade for at least 25 years; we are specialists at it; it is not something new, so don’t pretend that this is a new happening, please.
“Citizens have also shown their strong disapproval of live animal transport: in 2016-2017, Eurogroup for Animals’ #StopTheTrucks campaign, which called on EU decision makers to reduce and ultimately end long distance live animal transportation, exceeded its target of 1 million signatures and reflected the findings of a Eurobarometer survey showing that a staggering 94 percent of European citizens believe that protecting the welfare of farm animals is important”. And you know what; all the way citizens have been ignored by the EU; and they also have been calling on EU decision makers to wake up; get off their butts and make changes. When I was campaigning against the trade back in 1980; we were asking for change then; so why only now in 2020 may we start to see something happen ? – a bit late of EU, you could say !
Having personally investigated the trade and campaigned for change for what, 27, 28, 30 years; – see a bit more at https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ – I am bewildered to see that only now a strategy for change from live to carcase in the EU is looking like a possibility – not it WILL happen; just a possibility. It is all down to those masters of ignorance, the EU Commissioners, to see what they come up with as a result of this ‘new’ report of the obvious.
For me, I am quite happy to take this campaign to my grave if need be – and you know what; if they drag their heels as much as they have done for the past 30 years; then I probably will.
For me, it is:
Regards Mark – continue to fight the fight.
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A shift to meat and carcasses is not only long-awaited, it is totally justified
>>DOWNLOAD THE REPORT<<
Transported alive for up to several days or even weeks, despite legislation and 21st century values – this is still happening to animals in their millions every year, both within and outside Europe. But there’s no need. New evidence shows that a shift to a meat and carcasses only trade instead of transporting animals alive would be justified not only by animal health and welfare reasons, but also by environmental indicators, economic considerations and existing practices.
On 18th November stakeholders gathered together with EU and National representatives for the launch of a new report by Eurogroup for Animals, ‘A strategy to reduce and replace live animal transport: Towards a meat and carcasses only trade’, and to discuss how to make such a shift happen.
The workshop, ‘Moving Matters: From Hoof to Hook’, was co-organised by the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the European Union and Eurogroup for Animals, and opened by Carola Schouten, Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. During the event participants discussed how to practically achieve a shift to transporting meat and carcasses. Logistic solutions need to be supported by incentives, like product labelling for better marketability, financial support – for example, under the new CAP – or taxing products with a poor environmental footprint. In order to effectively mitigate the drivers of long distance live animals transport, the main transport routes should be assessed, and the need for more regional slaughter facilities should be mapped out.
It was also mentioned that this should be substantiated by a solid regulatory framework setting a maximum journey time of eight hours for animals transported for slaughter, with a derogation for shorter journey time for animals at the end of their lives. All of this should be part of a comprehensive EU strategy produced by the Commission, in line with its response to the Parliamentary implementation report on live transport.
The accompanying report provides an overview of trade flows and analyses the driving forces behind the transport of animals, putting forward proposals on how to mitigate those drivers to ease the transition to a meat and carcasses only trade, including case studies of where alternatives have successfully been tested or established.
Leading bodies such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) – as well as the animal welfare movement – have long been calling for a shift towards a meat and carcasses trade. Citizens have also shown their strong disapproval of live animal transport: in 2016-2017, Eurogroup for Animals’ #StopTheTrucks campaign, which called on EU decision makers to reduce and ultimately end long distance live animal transportation, exceeded its target of 1 million signatures and reflected the findings of a Eurobarometer survey showing that a staggering 94 percent of European citizens believe that protecting the welfare of farm animals is important.
With the passing of time, more reasons to justify a shift from transporting animals alive to a trade in carcasses and meat have emerged. In the last few years, increasingly prolonged periods of high temperatures over the summer months have led some Member States to suspend live trade. As climate change increases the chance of these periods occurring, it will become increasingly important for meat supply chains that currently rely on live transport to develop and implement alternative strategies to ensure that supplies are not interrupted. A debate on live animal transport in July had the majority supporting Commissioner Andriukaitis’ call for the suspension of journeys during summer.
“Transporting meat and carcasses is possible, and it is already happening across the EU and beyond,” said Reineke Hameleers, Director at Eurogroup for Animals. “We need the full involvement of farmers, EU Institutions, national Governments and all the actors in the supply chains, both in the EU and in third countries, to make sure it is effectively developed and implemented. We trust the EC will bring forward its promise to work on such a strategy.”
The UK has a General Election on 12/12/19. Some political parties are moving in the direction of bettering animal welfare policies; others ‘talk the talk’ about the issue, but in fact are just making it something for the Manifesto in an attempt to lure additional votes.
The ‘Liberal Democrat’ Party Manifesto; which outlines their policies if elected to government; mentions nothing about banning the live transport of animals; in fact, as they are pro remain for the EU, they are basically doing what the EU wishes; which is for them to keep quiet on the issue, and allow the abusive trade to continue.
So, especially regarding the incident in Romania last weekend; it was time for us to let the Liberal Democrats know what we felt about their attitude to animal welfare. Mark penned the following to them, in advance of the election on 12th December.
No party has all the perfect policies for improving animal welfare, and some promise just about everything with the knowledge that they will never be elected into government anyway – so with that in mind we guess they can promise that everything changes !
UK voters will naturally vote with their own feelings and intentions about what can be dome.
Here is a copy of Mark’s letter to the Liberal Democrats, giving them our opinion of their approach to animal welfare:
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Dear all;
Maybe it is best to start with a video (second link below) which you can see from the website run by Venus and myself: it reflects actual footage of the 14,600 EU sheep which drowned ibn Romania last weekend thanks to EU policies of lack of controls.
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/11/25/mass-grave-in-the-black-sea/
https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/11/26/romania-more-footage/
We have a General Election in the UK in just a few weeks. With regard Europe; your very favourite subject, which Jo Swinson continually bleats on about all the time, I note in your Election Manifesto that there is nothing at all about your party calling for an end to live animal transport within the UK, or even Europe.
Strange, coming from a political party which claims to be pro animal welfare and so pro EU. EU citizens have made it more than clear that they want a ban on live animal transport; and recently they signed a petition which gained well over 1 Million signatures calling for an 8 hour maximum journey time. The Conservatives listened to what people asked, EU Parliament representatives in Brussels supported this to a degree, but the all mighty, non elected Commissioners said ‘No’, and so ‘no’ it remained. So one has to ask; what is the point of MEP’s when they do not get laws enforced in Europe or hold the EU Commissions to do what the people ask ?; instead we witness an EU which is solely run by huge lobbyists in the meat mafia industry, and others such as Bayer / Monsanto. Unfortunately, the words ‘animal welfare’ are just weasel words put out to pretend that the caring Europe is doing things – when in reality, it does virtually nothing.
Despite all the terrible practices given in the above link, thanks to the EU, we continue to see rust bucket vessels, crewed only by the cheapest labour the exporters can get, crewing vessels registered in the far outposts of the planet, allegedly complying with standards defined in EU Regulation 1/2005 which allegedly gives ‘protection’ to animals being transported within Europe. Nobody is asking why ships are crewed by Syrians (not really known for their welfare concerns), why they are registered in islands dotted in the Pacific, or why they continue to operate after 40 years, when they should have been sent to the scrapyard years ago !
Ask the 14,600 sheep (yes, Fourteen thousand six hundred) animals which drowned last weekend off Midia port, Romania (yes, an EU member state of yours Ms Swinson) if the EU gave a toss about their ‘welfare’ ? – if they could speak before their deaths, I think the response would be a resounding ‘NO’. The vessel was overloaded, and nobody in authority gave a shit.
The EU (as a hole) is an almighty joke, the MEP’s who allegedly ‘represent’ us have about as much effect with the Commissions as a chocolate fireman; the result is, nothing ever changes. We go on and on; with highly paid EU legislators trying to invent words and PR’s which make it seem as if progress is being made. Take it from us, there is no progress at the EU when it comes to animal welfare; animals are still crammed into intensive cage systems, migratory birds are still blown out of the sky in Malta and Cyprus as they make their wonderful natural air voyages to places of sanctuary such as here in the UK, and stray dogs and cats continue to reproduce, and be killed by authorities who regard them as pests, because the EU comes up with no legislation to force member states to sterilise rather than kill. Instead we witness highly paid MEP’s sit at their regular coffee mornings, sometimes turn up at the Parliament to vote for legislation which is never implemented, such as I say above, with the maximum 8 hour journey limit being prime example.
And we are supposed to put our trust in you ? – So, now, General Election time in the UK. Given the utter rubbish which is the EU and the people who are voted in by the national electorates to hopefully get changes done, we, in our organisation have no choice but to inform people NOT to support the Liberal Democrats. Your manifesto pledges for animal welfare are a joke, (you say nothing about live animal transport) and if your UK pledges are anything like the ‘progress’ made for animal welfare within the EU, the EU which you continually praise and go on about, then we can all sleep safe knowing that the Liberal Democrats will in reality ‘do nothing’, not giving a toss about the welfare of animals either in the UK or in the EU. This ‘no progress’ policy is reflected in the productive strides made for better animal transport within the EU, which amounts to nothing ! – if pigs could fly !
This letter will be reproduced on our site, giving worldwide (and UK) visitors and voters our views on what the Liberal Democrats intend do for ‘animal welfare’. People can read our views and then as always in elections, make their choices. I think we can safely say that animal welfare is not on your list of priorities; where as revoking Article 50 to stay in the useless club is.
Ms Swinson wants to remain in the EU, but at least the Conservatives will set a precedent within Europe and ban live animal transport from the UK. They have spoken about it and animal welfare in general; even outside No 10 when Boris was elected and doing his speech. What do we ever hear from Lib Dems ? – EU, EU and more EU.
For us at WAV, that is 14,600 (now drowned) reasons to support another political party rather than the Liberal Democrats. We want action and we want it now; not just weasel words from politicians that may as well go directly into the rubbish bin.
Dutch MEP Anja Hazenkamp appears to be the only MEP who really has the guts to get up and get away from Brussels and actually visit the places (such as Midia, Romania) to support animal transport issues. Ports such as Midia where live animals are exported from simply as by product financial gifts for exporters which the EU does nothing about regarding monitoring what goes on; for this she (Anja) earns our utmost respect, unlike all the others from Brussels who only ‘talk the talk’ but do little in reality. https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/04/thanks-to-anja-hazenkamp/
Yours
Mark Johnson
Co Founder – ‘World Animals Voice’ – https://worldanimalsvoice.com/
Kent, England.
Animal rescue from the capsized ship – still living sheep on board 🚢❗️
Tirelessly, our ARCA Letea Wild Horses team worked with Romanian firefighters until late at night to look for survivors. Knowing that there are still conscious animals aboard drives us against all fatigue and exhaustion back to the partially flooded aisles of the freighter.
We have no time to reflect on the incredible sight that this ship, laden with the corpses of thousands of animal carcasses, represents.
Every time we almost give up hope, the leg of a sheep suddenly flinches in front of us. From nowhere, we hear again and again a soft “Mäh”, which steers us in the direction of a breathing animal.
Together we pull the terrified animals out of the mass grave to the light of day.
According to the code of honor of a captain, we will leave this ship only when every living animal is outside!
https://www.facebook.com/4PFOTEN/
And we mean…Many thanks to the strong and brave activists!
That would be a useful task for the many employees of the Eurogroup, looking for survivors.
In contrast to us, who are supposed to earn their own money with a job, the people of the Eurogroup have a lot of free time and can finally make themselves useful.
My best regards to all, Venus
They know who the people are, who love and help them; It’s us.
Have you not noticed?
Best regards, Venus
Website – https://seaturtles.org/
November Newsletter
As 2019 comes to end, we at Turtle Island Restoration Network hope you know how much we appreciate your support. We are a small organization, so it’s only with people like you by our side that we are able to leverage and amplify our voice — to make those in power listen and take action. When you sign an action alert or make a donation, you are taking a critical step to protect our planet and all the animals and others who depend on healthy ecosystems to survive. We can’t do it without you!
VICTORY! Council Votes Against Opening New Longline Fishery off California
We won! Because of you, the agency responsible for proposing fishery regulations in U.S. waters voted to NOT open a new longline fishery in the Pacific Ocean. This is a big win for our oceans and all marine wildlife, and it was not possible without your support! Turtle Island Restoration Network attended the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Costa Mesa, California — where your government considered opening a new longline fishery in the Pacific Ocean. We stood proudly with environmental activists, eco-tourists, recreational fishermen, divers, surfers, animal lovers, ocean enthusiasts, and more to demand the council say NO to opening up this deadly fishing practice off California.
First Cold-Stunned Turtles of the Season Rescued
Our team in the Gulf of Mexico saw the first cold stunned sea turtles of the season mid-November. When the water temperature drops drastically and rapidly, juvenile green sea turtles that have been foraging in the bays cannot find their way out to warmer water. As cold blooded reptiles, they rely on the surrounding temperatures to maintain their body temperature and will act very lethargic when too cold. They might be found floating or washed up on shore and are susceptible to boat strikes, predation, pneumonia and death. If you find any along the coast, please call your local animal rescue hotline for instructions. Thank you Justin Williams for assisting and sending in photos!
Groups Renew Push for Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban
Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Galveston Chapter of Surfrider Foundation unveiled new signs in November that showcase the Bring the Bag campaign and remind customers to bring their reusable bags when grocery shopping to reduce single-use plastic bags in the environment. The program aims to eliminate waste from single-use plastic bags in Galveston, despite a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court in 2018 that declared it a violation of state law for local governments to impose bans on plastic bags. We’re hoping to install the signs in other places around Galveston Island to prevent a source of single-use plastic from entering our ocean.
Ask Congress to do the RIGHT Thing for Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialisare) are dangerously close to extinction. There are less than 400 individuals remaining on earth, and only 95 are reproductively active females. In order to prevent extinction we must work to recover these numbers and halt any actions that lead to right whale mortality. Right now, the U.S. Senate has the opportunity to prevent extinction by supporting bipartisan legislation that seeks to target and alleviate the main threats to right whales—entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes—before it’s too late. Ask your Senators to vote in favor of SAVE Right Whales Act.
Shop to Support: A New Way to Help Save Species
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our online store! Shark shirts, turtle hats, and many other delightful items are available now for purchase on our website. All proceeds will directly support our species-saving campaigns around the globe. As lovers of nature, we believe it’s vital to consider the environmental quality and impact of the products we buy, which is why every item in the store was carefully selected to adhere to our own eco-conscious standards. Make it a green holiday season and give the gift of our planet’s future!
Second Ghost Town Transformed to Salmon Habitat
In October, our California-based initiative that is dedicated to protecting endangered coho salmon completed the second phase of our floodplain and riparian restoration project at the ghost town of Jewell in Northern California. The project is re-creating floodplain wetlands along Lagunitas Creek to help recover key populations of endangered Central California Coast coho salmon and other threatened species.
Eurogroup has posted a desperate message on its home:
“This is the second time this year that the Romanian government has been under the spotlight in exporting live sheep under critical conditions, and we urge the EU Commission to launch infringement procedures against the tragedies of the Member States (…)”
(…) Romania’s main livestock breeder and exporter association, ACEBOP, has called for an urgent investigation into the overturning of Queen Hind. “Our association is shocked by the disaster,” ACEBOP president Mary Pana told AFP news agency.
“If we cannot protect livestock during long distance transports, we should outright ban them.(…)”
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/tragedy-at-midia-brings-renewed-calls-for-infringement-proceedings-against-romania
We have undestand : Eurogroup demands the EU to ban animal transport.
From Brussels.
How do they want to explain that to 14.000 drowned animals?
Since we live under EU and its servants, we read desperate articles from Eurogroup when such tragedies happen. Or more precisely; after the tragedies happen!
And then Eurogroup is shocked. Everyone is shocked after a tragedy.
The Romania’s main livestock breeder and exporter association, ACEBOP, is also schocked for the tragedy. With 65,000 employees in the fields of agriculture, livestock, and food industry, such tragedies are certainly unknown for PRO AGRO!!
The politicians are also desperate, especially Andriukaitis who has already proved his powerlessness in the case “70,000 sheep in Midia”, July 2019.
Let’s stay here: at that time we only saw one person from the European Parliament, Anja Hatzenkamp in Midia, the only one who protested locally against it; Eurogroup was definitely on holiday.
Every month a tragedy with animals, trucks overturn, slaughterhouses burn, ships sink, thousands of animals drown … Everyone regrets each other, so let’s continue to regret half a century until the sea is full of flooding corpses?
How do we want to do it?
It does not work with Eurogroup, it does not work with the EU, not with the corrupt politicians who are the best lobbies of transport mafia, so we have to come up with something different.
Or do we just collect information, do we make an archive of tragedies and do we stop there?
Reineke Hameleers, Director of Eurogroup for Animals has an idea. “It is high time the Commission intervened, both by tackling maladministration by Romania and, for the longer term, puts forward a concrete strategy to replace live transport with a meat and carcasses only trade”.
So … the EU should do it again?
Has not the experience taught us that the EU politicians are the ones who have never done anything against animal suffering?
Is it serious, fellow Hameleerser, that they should regulate it again?
No! It is getting dumb, it does not work that way!
A demo against Romania and animal transports to the European Parliament, in Brussels, that would be an effective animal rights activism. Letters and mails to the European Commission, war against the EU by all media!
And organized by the Eurogroupe.
In Germany, the SOKO organization under the chairman Friedrich Mülln has achieved that the LPT laboratory in Hamburg and other three too will be closed.
The prosecution has issued a search warrant against ALL three laboratories, police and veterinary officials support the action, documents are confiscated.
How did Freidrich Mülln that succeed ?
With demos from over 15,000 people, letters, petitions, media reports, interviews …
And he does not get his pay from EU citizens, like Eurogroup.
Get up and go on the street, we will support you because we ALL owe it to the victims. Or, more effectively would be, if the Eurogroup goes to Midia to protest in advance so that no tragedy will happen.
Otherwise it does not work!
From Brussels and with a fat salary to maintain only the homepage, so far not a single animal has been saved .
My best regards to all, Venus
In remembrance of the innocent who suffer under the greed of humankind.
Mr Could Not Give a Toss – The ‘animal welfare’ ignorant Romania Minister Petre Deae
Any normal decent government would immediately sack useless crap like him – but Romania ? – we doubt.
Way beyond angry – and we are limiting what we want to say in reality a great deal.
In remembrance of the innocent who suffer under the greed of humankind.
