A crowd of 120 people made an appearance this afternoon in the Plaza del Pueblo in Errenteria-Orereta. The message, the light: that fascism has no place in Errenteria-Orera, that they won’t allow even the tiniest slot to enter. The purpose of the demonstration was to call the entire population to a demonstration on Friday 21.In the face of fascist aggression, freedom will be carried out under the slogan starting from the People’s Square at 19:00, and the popular initiative wants it to be the most populous possible. Behind this are citizens, individuals from a wide range of areas, ages, and backgrounds. On Friday, it is announced that there will be a broad, powerful and joyful mobilization to eliminate the darkness of fascism with the colors of diversity. These colors have been present in today’s apparition, there is no shortage of emblems, not the feminist flag, the rainbow color of the LGTBIQ+ movement, the flag that proclaims the return of Basque prisoners, the republican, the welcome refugee handkerchief, the Palestinian flag and the kufiyas.

The compilations have focused on observing different events that have been milestones in the history of the Basque Country. As a result, it has been prominently described as a town that has been “revitalized from the ashes of Guernica”: “Our country is the one that the fascists of the time wanted to destroy. After 40 years of brutal repression, we were denied our identity, forbidden to learn and use Basque, condemned by women to dependent and submissive lives, or denied sexual and identity dissidents.” They add that the Basque Country is also a country that “rose up” in the face of oppression, that “through struggle won the rights of the workers, that united the different origins giving impetus to the populace, that fought for the rights of women, that gave impetus to the Basque language, that rose up in the face of the assassination of Francis —Vicente Vadillo Santamaria—. We paid for the leather. But here we are.”

And from what they are, they say they will take a step forward to put a stop to the fascist aggression.

“Their heirs, who bombed Guernica, will arrive on Saturday with their flag and agenda,” denounced those present. “Their denial in this country comes to test and provoke Errenteria-Orere. They don't come here looking for votes or more partners. They come here because they know that there is a strong genealogy of struggle here, because ours is a fighting people. They come here because they know that the struggles for rights in this country have been varied and that there is a people here full of dignity.”

The context is as follows: Spain’s far-right Vox party has requested permission to install a propaganda post on the Alameda for Saturday morning. He's been given permission.

A call to mobilize

In contrast to the intention of those who seek to take the step back from the people, they said in the apparition that they are going to take a step forward, “they want us to take the step back, but we are going forward: a step forward for our rights and freedoms.”

They also talked about the nature of the municipality, precisely to give it value. In fact, the popular initiative is believed to be drawn by the confluence of its partners in the outbreak, adding that the municipality, a community village among the many, is an alliance among the many: “We are convinced that by acting together for our country, aligning ourselves for more rights and freedoms, we will close the doors to fascist aggression.”

On Friday’s demonstration all the citizens have been summoned in today’s apparition, “Starting from this People’s Square, we will carry out a broad, strong and joyful mobilization throughout the town. It is a mobilisation of various actors and individuals from the village and we want to invite the citizens to participate.”

The demonstration that will put a stop to the fascist incursion will start at 19:00.

In 1998 and 2019

The Spanish right-wing extremist party had asked for permission to place its propaganda post, and the request was approved today. This has been reported to the City Council of Errenteria. On Saturday morning, he asked for permission.

This is not the first time that the representatives of the extreme right parties in Spain are in Errenteria-Orera. On May 31, 1998, the far-right leader of the AUN (Alliance for the National Unity), Ricardo Sainz de Ynestrillas, visited the municipality with another 20 members. It was authorized by a judge. The response of the population was total, the whole village went out to the streets to say aloud that fascism has no place.

Closer is the visit of the Spanish party Ciudadanos. Among other things, Albert Rivera was the leader of the party that disappeared from the political scene under that name. This party held a rally in the Plaza de la Foru and that day this square woke up full of yellow ties to make a nod to Catalonia. A large number of citizens came together to tell Rivera himself and his party that they were not welcome. An investigation was initiated shortly by the Prosecutor ' s Office to determine whether these citizens had committed a crime of threat, insult or hatred. This investigation is based on the complaint lodged by Albert Rivera, head of the Ciudadanos period. The complaint was accompanied by a number of photographs and videos in the form of evidence in which the persons concerned appeared to have been summoned to the court. A total of 23 citizens were prosecuted.

As with these two, Saturday’s demand by Spain’s far-right Vox party to distribute party propaganda has been described by many as a “provocation.” In the last elections held, specifically in the vote of the Basque Parliament, on April 21, 2024, the far-right Vox party in Errenteria-Orera received 278 votes, 1.63% of the votes cast.

A Call to Fill the Streets and Windows with Vindication

The popular initiative calls on the citizens to fill the streets of the town and the balconies and windows of the houses on Saturday, “to consolidate our condition as a people”, and also calls on them to desist from any manifestation of Vox or fascism and not to fall into provocations, “to remain banal in our country and in our lives! Fighting the present, our future is ours.”

The video below is recorded by OTB when Ynestrillas visited Errenteria-Oreras and the story of a Pueblo made by Radio Libre Pendante. 27 years is nothing! From the documentary.