New platform of people concerned with actual turistic model announce protests in San Sebastian
After making preparatives over the last few months, BiziLagunEkin ('with our neighbours') platform has been set up in Donostia. "The current model of tourism in the city concerns us. We are a meeting place for people from different ideologies and ways of life. What brings us together is a concern about the consequences of tourism in our city on local people's lives".
On 25th May, when a world tourism meeting is going to be held in Donostia, a demonstration will set out from the Sagues area of the city. We Live here; We Want to Live Here! will be the slogan.
And before 25th May they are going to work on several tourism issues throughout the city. For instance, there will be conferences, film shows and other acts.
The platform members have communicated their objectives in two press releases. For one thing, they call for "a serious, transparent and open debate" about tourism in Donostia; they also request that "the people of Donostia's living and working conditions be the priority".
They protest that people who say that the current tourism model cannot be altered want to "avoid any discussion". However, the platform believes that it has managed to get some ideas across to the public.
They also state their concerns in the press release. Tourism in Donostia, they say, is run "for the benefit of the few and to most people's disadvantage; the city is being managed "like a company"; tourism has made the city "a servant to investment"; employment created by tourism is precarious; housing being used for tourism leads to local people being kicked out; "public spaces are being used for consumer activities"; and, finally, tourism is "homogenizing" cities and citizens all over the world.
This article was translated by 11itzulpen; you can see the original in Basque here.
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“After taking part in a four-year long process, we have opened a new playground at our school. It will give boys and girls the same opportunities, they will be surrounded by nature and it has come from their dreams." This is now the new playground at Kurutziaga School at Durango, Bizkaia, has been described. It will be officially opened on 24th April.
The Government of Navarre (Basque Country) has decided to offer public health care to the people who have been excluded from it; for instance, immigrants without documents.
A pension of less than 1,080 Euros. That is the figure which the Pentsionistak Martxan (Pensioners on the March) platform has set forward as the lowest dignified pension, and on 17th March tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the main Basque cities in support. The people furthest from that objective in the Basque Autonomous Community (Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa) are women.
In 2017 somebody at Sarriguren (in the Iruñea area of Navarre) suggested that part of the town's participative budget be used to create a natural wooded area along the canal there.
The Basque Country Feminist Movement has given its first evaluation of the day. They underline that it was "a complete success", as can be seen in the photographs. They see the strike's success as turning point, and say it is time to take real measures "once and for all". According to the feminist movement, 230,000 women demonstrated in the Basque Country on the day.
Over recent years the FCC company has been in charge of keeping the streets of Hernani (Gipuzkoa) clean, just as in many other Basque towns. But from May onwards Hernani's own Garbitania public service will be doing that. Votes from EH Bildu and Orain Hernani (Podemos) passed switching the service from the private sector back to the public sector.
Basque political prisoner Xabier Rey Urmeneta has died in Puerto de Santa Maria Prison (Cadiz, Spain), more than 1,000 kilometres from his home in Iruñea.
A demonstration had been organised for 14th April in Iruñea in support of the three young people who have been held in prison for almost a year and a half, and to demand they be given a fair trial. After a pub brawl with two members of the Civil Guard (Spanish armed forces), they were arrested and have been held in custody since then.
Last Saturday the anti-incinerator movement organised a mass demonstration in Donostia-San Sebastian (Basque Country). They gave the provincial government and its leader, Markel Olano, a message: "Use your energy recycling, not just burning refuse".
