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Nabarralde | Nabarra Papers
Solidarios
Protest Against Itoitz Dam in Berlin
Mila Parot Zubimendi.
Three Basque activists climbed the Fernsehturm (television
tower) of Berlin, yesterday to protest construction of the Itoiz
reservoir in the Irati valley in Spain's Basque province of
Navarre.
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Solidarios con Itoiz trying to unfurl a banner in Berlin's
television tower. January 24, 2000 |
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The three activists, members of the ecologist group Solidarios
con Itoiz, began to climb the tower at 7.45 with ropes from
an scaffold being used to renovate the building's facade.
During the three-hour demonstration, two activists climbed 180
meters at which point they unfurled a banner reading "Stopp
Itoitz Staudamm Stop." Their fellow demonstrators cheered and
clapped widly as the pair waved from the tower. One of the activists
had to be rescued by firefighter for risk of falling off. Police
arrested the three activists who were later released.
Five members of Solidarios con Itoiz on Sunday climbed the Brandenburg
Gate in Berlin and unfurled a banner in one of its lateral walls.
All five were arrested by the SEK federal police.
The Fernsehturm is Europe's second tallest tower, built in 1969.
The tower reaches a height of 1,209 feet and offers a spectacular
view of the city.
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Solidarios con Itoiz protesting at the Brandenburg Gate
in Berlin. January 25, 2000. |
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The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin's most famous monument. Built
in 1791 as a triumphal arch to celebrate Berlin as the Prussian
capital, it also became the symbol of Berlin as a divided city.
The two Solidarios actions in Berlin are part of a series of
protest organized by the group for a European tour to denounce
the illegal construction of the itoiz dam on the Irati valley,
about 20 km north of Iruña, in Spain's Basque province
of Navarre.
January 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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