As every Tuesday, the Basque Government held the meeting of the Governing Council and held a press conference. A journalist asked the government spokeswoman, María Ubarretxena, about the Guggenheim project in Urdaibai and replied verbatim:
- on the occasion of the Guggenheim de Urdaibai, a major demonstration was held in Gernika on the weekend. The Government said that it would open the listening process, seeing what has been heard, have you made any special reflection or put the issue on the table?
- Yes, it is true that there were some demonstrations, we know that there are conflicting opinions, but as we have always said it is a project that is on the government agenda. It's not just a museum, it's a lot more; it's a project about a valley's new life. As we have said, we will start active listening and there will be a process. As we always say, our will be the way of cooperation, agreement and dialogue on long-term projects for the future and for this country.
On 19 October, tens of thousands of people concentrated on the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve to demand the paralysis of the Guggenheim project that the Basque Government wants to carry out. At the demonstration convened by the Guggenheim platform, Urdaibai Stop Evictions called for "the cessation of the administrative and economic steps being taken to make the project viable". The platform noted that “the museum has been presented as a single solution for the region of Busturialdea” and denounced that the macro-project is a private initiative.
The Platform noted that it is intended to implement a “macro-project that promotes mass tourism at the centre” of a biosphere reserve. Thus, they denounced that no environmental study has been carried out and claimed that they are the ones who want to decide their future. They criticized the Government for using the public budget “for the benefit of a few” and “for the destruction of the environment”.