Three young people from Aiaralde will have to face a 4-year and 7-month prison request for participation in a Tubacex strike picket.

In particular, the Ayala want to judge the three by the events that took place on 25 March 2021 in the Saratxo piquette in Tubacex. The strikers formed a fire barricade that morning at the entrance to the factory, and the Ertzaintza carried it twice with pores and foam bullets, injured by several people:

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the three young people involved acted on that day “jointly and consensually”, accompanied by “about 500 people” who were not identified and “with the aim of altering public peace”.

Thus, all three are accused of public disorder and attack on authority. The Public Prosecutor ' s Office requires a prison sentence of 2 years and 10 months for the first offence, and 1 year and 9 months for the second. They also asked young people to pay EUR 756 (EUR 252 for each police officer) to the three Ertzainas “for the injuries caused”.

The Prosecutor also intends to deal with the damage suffered on that day by the materials of the Ertzaintza (the shields and boots are mentioned) and by the buses of the Tubacex management, but he adds that he has not yet received information on the costs of the same by the police and the bus company.

The trial will be held at the Provincial Court of Álava, but there is no fixed date yet. The lawyers have informed Aiaraldea Komunikabideak that the procedure may be extended for several months.

Last year Aiaraldea Komunikabideak interviewed one of the young people involved. It is not a coincidence that what has happened: “From the beginning of the strike I went to the pickets and they knew me (the cops). My view is that, seeing that they can do nothing against the workers, who have targeted those who are protected, so that they do not show solidarity. The message they want to send is that the protection of workers has negative consequences.” In addition, the young man added a lot of beating in Saratxo by the Ertzaintza and it was not the first day they beat her.

Legal facts

Weeks after the events of the Saratxo picket, the police marched in the homes of the young people involved to inform them that they were reported and that they were being investigated. The three neighbours passed by the judge on June 17, 2021, in Amurrio:

Dozens of workers then met in court and the Ertzaintza rebelled against those present, wounded and detained one of them, neighbouring Aintzane Mendia. The worker was dragged and caused a crack in his hand and an injury to his back, according to Mendia himself. He was also accused of an attack on authority, and the trial will take place in the autumn.

The Ertzaintza arrested four workers last year in the context of Tubacex’s indefinite strike, and litigation remains open. In addition, workers report that they have received an "avalanche of fines".