This year the festivities of Zahaz Harro (ZH) will be special for various reasons. The City Hall has banned you from all street activities. Did you explain why?

We have been informed of a general and written response to the ban on all activities for which authorisation is sought. We had a background in the neighborhoods of Txagorritxu, Judimendi and Adurtza. This year, taking into account the situation, and acting responsibly, we have submitted requests for special permits, putting everyone’s health and care at the centre. The requested places have been open and wide spaces where the location of the people can be determined. In addition, the permits have been accompanied by a health and safety protocol (based on the work carried out by the Judimendi Festival Commission, which has performed impeccable work). The written answer given by the City Council in this sense is transcribed as follows: “The draft submitted did not substantiate compliance with the security measures for holding the events. The public space in the two and three phases of de-escalation and in the “new normality” will be destined to the preferential use when storing and storing the social distance and for the expansion of the space destined to sailors, promoting the civic and orderly use of the same and the ecomical activity hostelera”. ("The project presented does not guarantee compliance with security measures in the expected events. In phases 2 and 3 of the de-escalation and in the "new normality", as far as the public space is concerned, public use will prevail, maintaining the proper social distance, as well as the expansion of the space destined to the tables of [accommodation], promoting its civic and orderly use and the economic activity of the hospitality industry.

They have also banned the Jewish Festival Commission from all street performances, claiming that the priority is to use public space for economic promotion. It seems that the prohibitions will apply to all popular festivities in the neighborhoods. How do they assess the ban on the use of public space?

With a point of frustration and sadness. The denial of permits does not respond to health criteria, but to the contempt for the collective responsibility and self-organization of the neighbors. The City Hall has prioritized guided, private activities and economic benefit, neglecting neighbors and neighbors. It aims to break with the free spaces generated in life, in celebration, in criticism, in reflections, in games… and limit our leisure to consumption.

The use of the street is one of the hallmarks of the IP. How or to what extent have the prohibitions conditioned the programme? How many activities have been maintained, how many have been suspended?

Since the arrival of COVID-19 we have carried out numerous reflections in the assembly in a context of great ignorance. At all times we have taken into account the realities and experiences that have occurred in the neighborhood and in the confinement. It was clear to us that it was not time to give more workload to bars, shops and collectives. The number of actions has been reduced while maintaining the essence of IP. The activities have been linked to the assembly and in most cases we have avoided the need for permits. We have had to change the format of some of the offers and have cancelled others because of the bans. This has set our creativity in motion at the same time [in the tweet below, avoiding bans, without asking permission and announcing just before a moment of the performance of the musician of Jon Basaguren from the balcony of the house]

ZH are celebrations of great community visibility. How has the neighborhood hit the health crisis and lockdown?

Casco Viejo is a diverse neighborhood, so there have been many different experiences and realities. Talking with the staff of the health center, with the Gasteiz Txiki neighborhood association or with the members of the joint network may be more appropriate. For our part this year we have focused on the elderly and their situation: We have prepared the radio program Zaharrean Harro and the route of the old photos of the neighborhood.

As the construction of the neighborhood is one of the objectives of ED, in this year’s festivities will you try to respond to the consequences of the health crisis? If so, how?

Thinking about the wishes of all the neighbors and organizing, as far as possible, proposals based on them: round tables around education, culture and health vs. repression, workshops, exhibitions, Ginkana for families, vindictive game, bertsos from the window to the window… Of course, respecting health and safety measures. One of our axes is that parties are participatory, and although it's very difficult, we're doing it.

Many small-format initiatives, the active participation of dozens of actors, a humble budget, without institutional subsidies, without focusing on consumption... Given the limitations and prohibitions that exist for people to meet, does the ED holiday model offer more possibilities than others?

It's true that they're not massive parties, and we don't want them to be, we celebrate them by looking at the neighborhood from the neighborhood. In addition, the activities are distributed throughout the week, in different times, themes and formats. They may be parties that better adapt to the current situation.

The health crisis will condition any activity in itself, and the institutional prohibitions against popular parties seem to be generalizable in the whole of HD. Can limitations and prohibitions also be an opportunity for a positive rethink of the holiday model?

Of course, that is the challenge we have in mind. The IP has a different character, but we need to reach many communities in the neighborhood to be more participative, that is what we have to work on. We are looking for horizontality and a plural and self-managed decision-making framework... This year we will celebrate the SDGs enthusiastically and forcefully. We will be responsible for the health situation, but we want public space to be accessible to people and people.