On June 18, 46 neighborhoods, associations, popular movements and social groups of Donostia were convened to denounce the “unfavorable” urban policies of the city and request the change of the city model to the needs of citizens and neighborhoods. About 2000 people came from Araba Park to the demonstration next to the city hall.
The demonstration started in Araba Park. Next to the Fine Arts Building, where a luxurious Hilton hotel is being built.
The tour ended in front of the City Hall of San Sebastian, where the message of closing the demonstration was read. “The subordination of urbanism to the speculative interests of tourist markets and investors is causing serious damage to the community. Important decisions that directly affect the Donostians are channelled according to private economic interests, a model that has increasingly negative consequences on the living conditions of the majority of citizens.” The following are structural problems such as the emergence of housing, the precarious economic model of the city, the privatization and massification of the street, the elitization of the city, aggressive urban policies and the destruction of architectural heritage.
They stressed that the City Council has begun the procedure for the renewal of the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) and that if it continues the road so far, they see “seriously” the future of San Sebastian and the long-term Donostiards. “The process of apparent liver participation spells out the Donostiarras that we think and defend another model of city that does not correspond to the main economic forces.” Later, they added that “we insisted on the need to join efforts to address the policies that subordinate the city to the interests of the market and to transform the model to the needs of citizens and neighborhoods”.
They conclude by saying that the demonstration has been the “first step” of the collaboration between neighborhood associations and popular movements and that they will follow it.
List of neighborhood associations and popular movements grouped as follows: