Human chain to stop incinerator in Gipuzkoa

On Sunday May 29 2016 citizens in Gipuzkoa have come together to hold hands in a human chain uniting thousands of citizens against the proposal to build an incinerator in Zubieta. 5000 people were needed to create this human chain from the Oncologic Hospital and the Regional government but the support for the action has been such that the human chain has turned into a big demonstration in the streets of the capital of the Basque province, Donosti, San Sebastian.

The mobilisation wanted to deliver to the authorities a letter written by the association of doctors Onkologikoa. The message was placed inside a box and given to a child, who leading a comitive of cyclists has driven along the human chain until the Gizpuzkoa Square where sits the regional authority responsible for the construction of the incinerator.

The message read “There are many reasons to be against this incinerator, but as doctors we want to emphasize: incinerators are harmful to health” has started reading the doctor Xabier Mitxelena. He indicated that “we do not want that, through neglect, repeat what happened with asbestos. Several years after thinking it was safe, now many people who have worked with asbestos are dying of cancer. “

To give credence to these words the event welcomed the presence of Clara Perales, a resident of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, suburb of Madrid who has lived 4.5 kilometers close to the waste incinerator of Valdemingómez. She affirmed that she never had serious health problems until the incinerator started operating when she started to suffer respiratory problems which in 2014 resulted in a blood cancer in Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Clara Perales cried “I am not the only one with cancer in my community. In my block of ten houses we are ten people; out of which two have died and three are being treated with chemotherapy. You are still in time to stop this incinerator in Zubieta. Health and clean air is a common good and have no ideology”.

Teresa Lopez de Munain, on behalf of the organisers of the event, continued reading the manifesto of the event and reminded to anyone who would want to listen; “Those who have a brain don’t want an incinerator close to their homes but those who have a heart don’t want an incinerator anywhere close to anything”

Mentions of this event in the press:

– El Diario Norte “Miles de personas en la cadena humana contra la incineradora de Gipuzkoa”
– Diario Vasco “Milaka lagun bildu dira Donostian, erraustegiaren aurkako giza katean“, “Miles de personas forman una cadena humana en contra de la incineradora“.
– El Mundo “Miles de personas forman una cadena contra la incineradora”
– ARGIA “Milaka pertsonak osatu du giza katea Donostian errauskailuaren aurka“, “Giza kate erraldoiak ezetz esan dio errauskailuari Donostian”
– Berria “Milaka lagunek egin dute bat erraustegiaren aurka”
– Noaua ““Aurreikuspenak oso modu nabarmenean gainditu dira”“, “Erraustegiaren Aurkako Mugimendua: “Denon artean geldituko dugu”“, “Xabier Mitxelena (OEIT): “Ardura printzipioa aplika dezatela”“, “[Bideoa] Giza katea, maiatzak 29“.
– Txintxarri “Eskutatik helduta, erraustegiari “ez” esan diote [Lasarte-Oriako] 1.000tik gora herritarrek Donostian”
– Topatu “Gipuzkoa plaza hartu dute hainbat herritarrek, errauskailuari ezezkoa eman eta egungo politika ustela eraldatzeko”
– Sustatu “Gipuzkoa plaza hartu dute Gipuzkoa Zutik plataformakoek”
– Gara-Naiz “Donostiako Gipuzkoa plazan erraustegiaren aurkako gunea antolatzen hasi dira“, “Exitosa cadena humana contra la incineradora en Donostia“, “La respuesta ciudadana contra la incineradora supera las expectativas“, “Con la incineración, de sabios es rectificar”
– EITB “Miles de personas protestan contra la incineradora en Donostia“, “Pertsona ugarik Gipuzkoa Plazan eman dute gaua, erraustegiaren aurka”