Another Bilbao is possible, kale will not be silenced with the call for demonstrations made on Saturday by the Federation of Neighbourhood Associations of Bilbao, which has been joined by some 200 groups. Today, in front of the media, the support received has been summed up as "success" and after the mobilization, the member of the federation Aitziber Virgel has spread the message "to maintain this unity": “By focusing on what unites us and encouraging collaboration to be stronger and more effective, without neglecting their usual field of work.”

In fact, collectives of a very different nature consider that "another Bilbao is possible", a city "more humane and social". To do this, they have taken the changes they consider necessary to a decalogue. Among other things, they demand ways to participate in organizations to “share claims and solutions.” The City Council, being the closest institution to the citizens, must "act as a bridge" with the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and/or the Basque Government and "put an end to projects implemented without participation" to recover the trust of the citizens.

The participation aims to address issues such as public infrastructure, cultural heritage, sustainability, neighbourhood inequality, equality between women and men, gender violence, employment and housing.

They say clearly that they want to be an "open" city for both residents and visitors, but not "a city of shop windows without criteria, dependent on commercial tourism without borders".

This news has been published by Uriola de Bilbao and has been brought to our attention thanks to the Creative Commons license.