It's a festival atmosphere but the message is serious.<br/> The residents of La Rioja in northern Argentina are rallying against Canada's Osisko Mining project.<br/> Local media says half the town's 7,000 residents turned out to protest against the gold project in the Famatina mountain range.<br/> Out in the Famatina hills environmentalist Karina Diaz Moreno says the previous contractor Barrick Gold, which abandoned its controversial mines in the region, contaminated local water sources.<br/> (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) KARINA DIAZ MORENO, ENVIRONMENTALIST, SAYING:<br/> "The Famatina mountain range is where Barrick wanted at one time, as Osisko wants now, to blow away our mountains under the open sky."<br/> Residents line the road to support a caravan of activists on their way to the demonstration.<br/> Six months ago, Osisko signed a mining contract with the provincial state government.<br/> Protesters want the governor to void the deal.<br/> Lily Grimes, Reuters
