The competition of building No. 12 of Lope de Vega de Getxo Street was transferred to the City Council of Getxo on 7 February to the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. In the past it is intended to build an Intergenerational Center in the place of the former Casa de Valles Mayor, the Gaztetxe and the Euskaltegi, although several citizens have shown their disagreement with this decision. For example, the members of the Casa de los Valles Mayor de Getxo have been defending their refuge for years, a long battle that occurred in number 2,794 of ARGIA and in which we explain the situation. From this report, published in October, the situation has changed and on Tuesday 14 February citizens protest the demolition of the building.

Seeing that on Monday the workers of Azpiegiturak started working in the Lope de Vega building, dozens of citizens have tried to hinder the work since Tuesday morning. Hiruka is monitoring firsthand and according to information provided at 08:30 the protests have started to sit down to prevent staff from accessing the building. "When the Ertzaintza appeared, but the agents rebelled against the protest, dismantled the popular wall and guaranteed the entry of workers by 10:00," the local media reported.

A young Protestant is detained, another is beaten and a colleague of @HirukEus is again attacked by the Ertzaintza. The photographer was hit with a big buck to tell what was happening, though he insisted he was #journalist. pic.twitter.com/Fwg3Pw98Ny

— Hiruka (@HirukEus) February 14, 2023

This has strained the atmosphere and the Protestants have begun to hit the verges of the area and the police have become aggressive. According to information published by Mr. Trio, the police have wounded several people, including the media photographer, in this offensive and have brought one person to detention. As they report at 12:15, riot police have cut the street.

Green light to the intergenerational center project

On 17 August the City of Getxo began the demolition works of the building, but after the request of extreme precautionary measures by the members of the Casa de los Valles Mayor, that same day the Bizkaia Court issued the order to stop the demolition. In January, however, this order was invalidated by the High Court of Justice of the Basque Country. On 11 January it was announced by Hiruka and the demonstration on 12 February in favour of maintaining the building had already been called.

Dozens of people adhered to the call and, in the light of the answer, the convoys to Hiru said: “Once again, it has become clear that the neighborhood is in favor of the conservation of these buildings, despite the fact that the City of Getxo and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia have repeatedly denied it”. They take advantage of the call to again ask the PNV and the PSE-EE to maintain the building, but the City Hall continues with their intentions.

The City Council of Getxo and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia intend to build an intergenerational center in the place of the Lope de Vega street building. According to the City Council, on the ground floor of the building there will be a place of 283 square meters for the future relocation of the association of elderly people of the neighborhood.