They have been protesting the expansion of the mine, which would force them off their land.
For a discussion at greater length, please see my Emory Law Journal article on Prison Accountability and Performance Measures, or this earlier post of mine (which this post quotes from liberally).
In the video report, the engineer explained that he tackled this dangerous work even though was never trained to neutralize this sort of mine, which was apparently added to the Syrian military's arsenal recently.
"You're stuck with being connected to this country of mine, which is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe," he told the students.
This reaction of mine — which comes from one who has been and remains a passionate supporter and admirer of our new President — is, I repeat, purely subjective.
This house of mine, which daily becomes more and more the perfect retreat and archive, is a great ocean of shelves filled with bare accountings with hardly a trace of literature about them, unlike the heretical works of narrative.
Here is a message received on May 3 from one of my clients, a young man from Yemen: "If the government severs communications between us, and we are not able to ever meet again, I want to say to you: Thank you for standing by me in this ordeal of mine, which is the greatest ordeal I have had in my life...
"When I look at this country of mine, which once was the pearl of the Antilles," he sang in Creole, "I think, Oh, good God, where will we end up?" Living Amid Ruins Next door in Villa Rosa, on a steep hill inaccessible to cars, Terilien Brice built his salmon-color house in stages, starting 35 years ago.
