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Nabarralde | Nabarra Papers
Basque
Eco-Activists Scale St. Peter's Cupola
to Protest Itoitz Dam
Mila Parot Zubimendi.
Three members of the environmental group Solidarios con
Itoitz scaled the cupola of St Peter's Basilica on Thursday
and unfurled banners denouncing construction of a dam in the
town of Itoitz in Navarre, a former Basque state conquered by
Castile and turned into another Spanish province.
The three Solidarios
stayed perched on the ribbed roof overlooking St. Peter's Square
for five hours, ignoring threats by police the three faced prison
if they didn't come down. They were among eight demonstrators
from Solidarios with Itoiz and an Italian eco-activists
group protesting dam projects all over the world.
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Solidarios con Itoiz with banners in St. Peters's Basilica.
February 24, 2000 |
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Solidarios
con Itoitz activists recently staged similar protests on Berlin's
Brandenberg Gate and Fernsehturm television tower in February,
and on London's Millennium Wheel in October last year.
The three activists paid their way up the dome like regular
tourists. Once inside they used ropes to climb down the cupola
and unfurl two banners saying "SOS Itoitz" and "NO ALLE DIGHE"
(no to dams in Italian). Their fellow Italian eco-demonstrators
cheered and clapped widly as the three unfurled the banners.
Firefighter using cables climbed down the top of the cupola
and hauled the protesters back inside.
Police arrested all eight environmental campaigners who were
taken to the State Police headquarters in Via San Vitale. There
was no immediate word on charges.
Although Spain's Constitutional Court declared the Itoitz dam
illegal, the government continues construction claiming it will
do it until the court passes sentence.
A government report disclosed last year states the dam's left
bank is unsafe and may collapse. Spanish Environment Minister
Isabel Tocino claims the government has broken no rules in its
construction of the Itoitz dam but failed to explain why it
has refused permission for a group of international experts
to examine the dam.
Eight members of Solidarios con Itoitz have been sentenced to
four years and 10 months in prison and have been fined for cutting
cables at the dam.
February 2000
Translation
by Gigi Bidarte
Related article: Itoitz Revisited
Mila
Parot Zubimendi is a law student and an environment activist.
She lives in Miarritze.
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