10. Press notifications balance of 3 days of resistance in Itoitz (2003-06-19)

This morning the last three buildings still up in Itoitz, Jakue Bernatena and St. Eulalia church, have been demolished after evicting the last three activists, who had spent the last three days resisting in them.

Press conference

Today al 11 a.m. a press conference has been celebrated at the door of Agoitz´s court house. In it, a balance of everything that has happened these last three days has been made, one will take place this Saturday in Agoitz and the other next Sunday 29th in Iruñea.

At the conference it was marked the fact that although this action had been organised by the group Solidaries with Itoiz, many other people from different places and groups have also taken part, united under one same idea: the defence of villages alive and of our planet. This struggle in Itoiz against the construction of the struggles against the huge projects the globalising development needs to subsist.

Throughout the conference people implicated in the action gave their testimonies. What everyone coincided in was the denounce of the methods the Navarran Policed used in order to evict the activists as soon as possible, not caring about their physical integrity. The imprudence both the police and the demolishing company showed, could have meant serious accidents. In fact, there are several people with injuries. The activist have also denounced the threats, ill-treatment and humiliations they were inflicted. They also said they had claimed the presence of the fire Brigade not becausehay needed it but because they feared the Navarran Police´s imprudent acting would bring serious problems or even a tragedy.

On the other hand, the militarization the town of Agoitz and the village of Itoiz have been under, has also been denounced, as well as the brutal, unfair and been denounced, as well as the brutal, unfair and disproportionate charge by the Civil Guard against the people who were pacifically demonstrating in the streets of Itoiz.

Trials against the people arrested by the Civil Guard

Today at 12 midday, 4 people arrested by the Civil Guard after the charge in Agoitz on Monday 16th, declared before the judge but the trial got postponed. An of the other arrested by this same police force wil have a trial on June 26th.

While people were inside the Court many other gathered outside to support them, all in a festive atmosphere, with traditional instruments and singing. The Civil Guard showed up with much anti-riot gear so four friends decided to chain themselves at the entrance to the court house. These for were arrested by the Civil Guard after having their chains cut, another person who was supporting them was also arrested. The first four have been released.

Going back to the trial, the witnesses the civi guard presented contradicted their selves all the time and there wasn´t a medical inform of injuries a 4th policeman claimed. One of the arrested denounced ill-treatment and the beating up he suffered while he was being arrested.

Represive balance:

· Arrested by the navarran police: 28

· Arrest by the Civil guard: 25

Total number of arrests: 53

NEXT CONVOCATORIES

· Demonstration in Agoitz Saturday 21st 7.30 from the townhall - VILLAGES ALIVE - STOP ITOITZ. Called by solidaries with Itoiz and the Plataform of affected by the dam.

· National demostration in Pamplona Sunday 29th 12 at midday, from ' La Plaza de los Fueros ' under the same motto.

DEFEND OUR PLANET !

8th Press Notification (2003-06-18) 3rd day of resistance in Itoitz

Things are going on in a similar way to the previous day, at 12 at night the group of mediators our collective had designed, who were spending the night at the cross-road near Itoitz were thrown out from the spot once again, but this time to a place further than 500 metres from the village. Throughout the night all the police forces kept continuously driving round controlling the village.
The village has been besieged and surrounded by a plastic band, making it impossible for anyone to approach the houses people have been resisting in for three days.
The group of mediators tried to approach again and have been thrown out once more. This time they have had to stay in spot further than two kilometres from the village, from where they can't a thing and are permanently controlled. So we could now say our mediators' work has been totally disallowed. The reason to keep them way can't be any other but to prevent anyone from seeing what's going on in the village as the police carry out their work carelessly. The Navarran Police making use of a pneumatic hammer has been trying to make a hole in one of the walls of the bunker. The people inside the bunker seeing how recklessly the police were acting and fearing for their lives asked for the firemen brigade to take part in the eviction even though they feel strong enough both physical and mentally to carry on inside for a good more few days.
To explain everything that had happened on the previous days and fearing for the security of the people inside the bunker the collective called a press conference at 13,00 to send out an SOS to society.
Two of the people who had been hidden inside one of the houses decided to give up feeling their lives were in danger. They attended the press conference and denounced the police brutality and the methods the demolition company "Pérez del Río" is using, as they were demolishing walls without taking any care of the people hidden nearby. In the same press conference the mediators reported the helpless situations in which people in the bunker were in, and warned of the danger the eviction involves.
Practically at the same time the premises of the association Angiluerreka in Agoitz have been surrounded and people in the square nearby asked for identification.
Meanwhile, a neighbour of Itoitz is found by the police in his hiding place. After being brutally arrested by a large number of policemen is taken to the navarran police's headquarters. Even though this arrest has been confirmed some of the policemen in command denied it had happened.
The collective Solidari@s con Itoitz called for a noisy protest (people banging pots and thing to make noise) today at 8 pm.