Resistance in Artozki – DAY 8

Today, 22nd September, is the eighth day of resistance in the village of Artozki, to prevent its demolition to make way for the Itoiz dam. Despite a big scare on Friday, when four vans of riot police entered the village with rubber bullet guns and batons, the village is still standing and full of life.

Friday’s police incursion was met with an impressive show of passive resistance, with people chained in concrete barrel lock-ons across the road, and people resisting on rooftops, tripods and locked on to the houses. They pushed and batonned the people they found in the square and violently moved the barrel road block with people still locked to it. After filming everyone the police finally agreed to talk to a mediator, told her they were just there to disconnect the electricity, and left. A generator arrived soon after, and Artozki still lives!

This weekend the town celebrated a week of resistance with a fiesta, with residents of the village and neighbours from the surrounding areas affected by the dam.

A week ago, when residents left their homes with tears in their eyes, no one could have imagined that the houses would still be standing and the village alive with festivities one week later. Around 250 people took part, with traditional Basque dancing, giant puppets, games and food, as well as debates and discussions about the dam project and the continuing resistance.

Around 80 people took part in the discussions, where the previous residents of the village made it clear that they have not voluntarily left. The six families who remained living in the village to the last were forcibly removed from their homes. They gave their support and thanks to the people who have stayed to defend the village and denounced the fact that they have spent 18 years living under the threat of the Dam.

Over the past week the current occupants of the village have been subjected to constant police harassment, with road blocks on the incoming roads, police incursions into the village and low flying helicopters buzzing us and filming the inhabitants (and exploding our straw puppets with the wind they create!)

At noon today, for example, a van of Navarran Policia Foral drove into the village square, and six riot police got out, waving rubber bullet guns and batons, wandered around the village and then left again. They are testing the level of resistance in the town and how quickly the defences can be activated.

We are still expecting them to try to evict any day now. We are not dropping our guard and we repeat the call to action – come help the resistance in Artozki!

For more information and photos see: www.sositoiz.com or euskalherria.indymedia.org