- Despite the fact that Mayor Juan Mari Aburto has said that they have been spectacular parties, sellers have criticized the tension, harassment and excessive police presence they have experienced during Aste Nagusia. They have explained that since last July they have been meeting with the City Council of Bilbao to reach agreement on the measures necessary to protect their rights, but that the Council has not taken these requests into account.
The Manteroekin Bat platform has concentrated this Tuesday afternoon in front of the Arriaga Theatre, where a demonstration has been held. The platform consists of the Manteroak Platform of Bizkaia Mboolo, SOS Racism of Bizkaia and ongi Etorri Errefuxiatuak, and in the concentration have participated many groups that have turned to the protest. “Once again, the Municipal Police and the Ertzaintza have acted with violence and racism and some media have supported these actions.” They have called for an end to the criminalisation and persecution and violence against quarries, under the slogan ‘No to persecution against mantars!’.
They go directly to the City Council of Bilbao and ask it to amend municipal policies that "severely affect" the rights of manterers. In particular, the Manteroekin Bat platform is holding meetings with municipal representatives and is based on five lawsuits. On the one hand, political responsibility and control of abuses: “We call on the City Hall to put an immediate end to physical and verbal violence in police action and to apply the monitoring, control and punishment of police officers who abuse their power.” Secondly, they have pointed out that the police practice of withdrawing documentation or other personal objects from street vendors goes against fundamental rights and must disappear. The same applies to the practice of confiscation of street vendor products, which say that it is a controversial and untransparent practice and that it needs to be revised. Fourth point, as has been done in other territories, to agree safe spaces for sale, both in the Aste Nagusia and in the festivities of the neighborhoods. Finally, they have asked for the possibility of introducing into municipal sports clubs manquins that can be cleaned and rested in dignified conditions.
At the meetings, the platform has stressed that there has been no progress or gesture as to the measures requested, but rather words of good intent on the part of the City Hall.
The concentration has ended with the claim that being a mantero is not a crime, and that "nobody is illegal".