Watch above: Musicians play Metallica in Romania during protest
TORONTO – A video of a string quartet playing music during a peaceful demonstration against a Canadian-Romania gold mine project in Romania’s capital city is going viral.
Uploaded by YouTube user Cosmin Andrei on Monday, the musicians are seen gathered in the middle of a crowd of protesters as they begin to play their version of the Metallica hit “Nothing Else Matters.”
On Sunday, about 2,500 people joined environmentalists and historians and urged lawmakers not to pass legislation that would approve Gabriel Resources Ltd. Mining company into the Transylvanian village of Rosia Montana.
READ MORE: Protests, cyanide concerns may halt Canadian-Romania gold mine project
Despite criticism from opponents who say the mine poses too much of an environmental risk due to the use of cyanide in the extraction process, the Toronto-based mining company says it promises to develop the mine “in a sustainable way.”
Romanian protesters also argue that their country would earn too little from the deal as the project would hand over Romania’s assets to the Canadian company.
READ MORE: Romanians protest Canadian-owned gold mining operation
On Monday, Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he would seek other alternatives to finding jobs in the area and that would oppose the mine to avoid “undermining the national economy.”
– With files from The Associated Press
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