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GALIZA: NEVER AGAIN national |
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news report
 Wednesday December 04, 2002 22:34 by xare
 The Galician shore is suffering the worse black tide in European history Caos in Galiza (north of Spain and Portugal) after the black tide from the "prestige" boat has arrived to the coast. 600 km shores have already been blakened by the petrol. Due to the lack of prevision from authorities, fishermen and fisherwomen are working day and night removing the petrol from the sea even with their hands and without appropriate clothing in a toxic environment When the crisis begun, Spanish environmental affairs minister was hunting with some friends, and the President of Galicia's autonomous government, was on december the 1st, doing very important thinks as presenting a book in Madrid about natural medicine and giving a talk on the future of Europe. This black tide is not the first one to happen in Galiza, nonetheless 200.000 galicians took the streets of Santiago sunday december the 1st to protest and crying "Nunca mais" (Never again), it has been the biggest demonstration ever happened in Galiza's history. A group of people chain themselves in the government and got beaten by the spanish police. Most of the people inhabiting the 600 km of coast in Galiza depend from fishing and seafood collection. This crisis might turn Galiza's main industry into a couple of dark decades. On top of this Spanish Government is carrying on a policy of informative restriction and they are even trying to censor journalists with the excuse they don´t want to create fear. Three journalist, two of them from corporative media "La Voz de Galicia" were not allowed to get into a fishing boat that was collaborating in picking up the petrol. Central Government has obliged french sea institution "Ilfremer" that has helped by allowing the use of their exploration submarine "Nautile" to sign a secrecy contract so as to not to publish the pictures it gets from the depth of the sea. So far according to the government the pictures show that no fuel is coming out while portuguese authorities say that new spills of oil are appearing close to the place where "Prestige" sank. More info on: |
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Jump To Comment: 1It is chartered to spend 100 hours at the site.
This weekend the best equiped of the cleaning crews will return to Belgium, they were working voluntarily in any case.
The King of Spain Juan Carlos 1 went to the beaches of Gallicia the other day, less than 48 hours after 200,000 had attempted to "concentrate" in the centre of Gallicia´s capital. In Barcelona a group of 200 mostly Gallicians gathered to shout:
"Nunca mais" [gallego for never again]
and "Fraga No Fraga No".
Fraga is thought of by many as a paternal presence, he has been president of the autonomy of Galiicia since the beginning of the current Spanish constitution Dec 12 1977.
Before that he was minister in charge of the transition from Fascism.
As that minister he held ultimate moral responsibilty for many decisions taken at street level against protesters from all sides of the political spectrum in the very difficult years of the transition from Fascism.
As an Irishman I was delighted to hear Galician music last Sunday during "the concentration", Galician music has lots of bagpipes and drums and celtic phrasing. [Milesius the king who mythically met and married Erin´s daughter set sail according to legend from Gallicia].
Gallicia is a poor region / country with a language currently enjoying a limited revival. I attached one of the last year´s winning poems to an article on the HongKong fuel tanker. Over 300,000 Gallicians live in Catalúnya. With the present destruction of their fishing base, tourism base and allied problems, yesteday the slick reached into fresh water river deltas thus threatening the shellfish and freshfish industry, Fraga had said over two weeks ago that the worst had been seen.
Nunca Mais is a cross-political platform to call on governments, those of Gallicia, Spain and Europe to enfore a ban on single hull tankers in our waters, to end flags of convenience and to punish those responsible for what is becomming the worst eco-disaster in recent Western European history.
Aznar has chosen not to visit the beaches.
There is still much discussion over the toxicity of the petrol fuel and cleaning materials being used.
Fraga is on the anarchist wish list.
We have many a list of many heads we wish to see roll, as does everyone; Thatcher, Pinochet, Kissenger, it could be a very long list, but Fraga is close to the top.
He is one of the oldest politicians in Europe a contemporary of the other ancient profesional politician Ireland´s Paisley.
There are a variety of petitions online, and information available in English I´ll troll off and find that for Irish readers, meanwhile,
¿Xare, puedes tu poner más sobre las contaminantes persistentes y "el Rey por la playa"?
This is really something that effects us all.
It´s isn´t just Gallicia / SPain / Portugal.
On a lighter note some two weeks ago during a phone in from Mexico on a weekly radio programe I contribute to, we decided to declare War on Portugal using Aznar´s accent.
"contra la humiliación de España" against enemies older than Basque or Catalan.
And when I stood in the "concentration" the other day amongst 70 Gallician republican / independentist flags, I began to think about that Aznar line "against the humiliation of España" ..."and her untouchable old men".
So a King has gone to the beaches to stand amongst a Belgian anarcho-green disaster response volunteer group, as they were the only ones with the right protective clothing.
....lovely does it.
....always has.
=more anon.
=think of Cork and Mayo and Corrib.