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INPRIMATU
Clamor for San Sebastian decolonal
  • On 12 October it has been used, through an commented itinerary, to make visible the past and now colonial of San Sebastian. In four scales they have made data and readings related to the place: Plaza Nueva, opposite the Church of Santa Maria, Plaza de la Trinidad and Plaza de Okendo. In the end they have read the manifesto in favour of the decolonal San Sebastian and have expressed their willingness to continue working along these lines.
Lander Arbelaitz Mitxelena @larbelaitz 2022ko urriaren 12a
Okendo almirantearen estatuari bizkar emanez irakurri dute manifestua. (Argazkia: Joseba Parron / Irutxuloko Hitza)

This year, some citizens wanted to turn the demands made on 12 October and add a decolonal vision. Estefanía Quilez intervenes to claim "San Sebastian has been and continues to be a decolonal city." They point out that by raising history from another perspective, they want to change the lives of citizens and the way they are in the world. They point out the need to raise relations with the South American community from another place.

They have made four stops and in the chronicle made by Xalba Ramírez in Irutxuloko Hitza the comments are collected in more detail. First point of exit: Plaza Nueva. Officially the Plaza de la Constitución, but after 300 years of construction of the plaza, has taken the word Dani Goñi, a member of the team who in recent years is working for his change of name, and has placed the imposition of the name of the plaza. It indicates that new initiatives are being prepared for the future in order to further socialize the issue.

The second stop was in front of the church of Santa Maria. Church built thanks to the contribution of the Guipuzkoan Company of Caracas. On the one hand, Markel Ormazabal has set up this company and has taken the opportunity to tell a number of facts related to the issue. They mention that the recent popular revolt occurred in relation to the customs transfer, which directly affected the achievement of the goods monopoly by this company for decades for the transport of almost all of South America to Euskal Herria. It has stated that this company was bringing cocoa and other raw materials, but that it is excluded from the official history to which it collected them: Slaves from Africa. In addition, the company had shares in other companies, such as some companies engaged in the slave trade. In addition, Ormazabal explained that the repression against the Azpeitia rebellion of 1766 was financed by the company Karakasko.

The third stop was in the Plaza de la Trinidad. At the time, it was the former prison in San Sebastian, as Ormazabal explained. The anecdotes related to this plaza relate, among other things, to the many slaves they had in jail, to the sale of them by the City Hall and to the families who bought them: Errazkin, Aiertza

Finally, the tour has ended in the plaza where the statue of Admiral Okendo is located. Estefania Quilez has read the manifesto of the Donostia Decolonial. In this video, made by Joseba Parron, you can listen to the text of the manifesto and see the images of the tour.

 

Campaign against slavery and settlers in the Old Town

In the Old District of San Sebastian, Sortu has put up information posters explaining the origin of the names of some streets. This video was made in Negu Gorriak with the theme "The History Taught", in which you can see the initiative.