A fiery protest burned brightly across Denmark yesterday

Thousands turned up to show their dissatisfaction with the government’s coastline plans

Around 200 bonfires were lit across Denmark yesterday in protest at the government’s plans to further relax planning laws to allow even more building projects closer to the country’s coastline.

The conservation organisation Danmarks Naturfredningsforening (DN) was behind the protest, which attracted some 25,000 people to beaches from Helsingør to Løkken.

“Dear everyone, you did it. You made a ring around the free Danish coasts,” DN wrote on Facebook.

“Thousands of people took part in over 200 events nationwide and sent a clear message to the government: the coasts should remain free.”

READ MORE: Nature organisation sees government growth plan as a further nail in the coffin for Denmark’s coastline

140,000 signatures
The government’s proposal to further relax planning laws to allow even more building projects closer to Denmark’s coasts, which is part of its new growth plan, has attracted sharp criticism from DN.

Last year the organisation started an online petition (here, in Danish) to ‘save Denmark’s coastline’, which has attracted almost 140,000 signatures.

The current coastal zone rules prohibit building within three kilometres of the shore without approval from the nature agency Naturstyrelsen.

Photo: Danmarks Naturfredningsforening
Photo: Danmarks Naturfredningsforening

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