The camping for the right to housing and territory and against touristification in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de València announced this Sunday that it is dissolving “as part of its strategy” to “continue activity in the neighborhoods” and has assured that they are working on “different large actions “, that “they will dialogue” with other entities, to implement if their demands “are not heard,” among which are general, consumer and rental strikes.
“Since the camping trip in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento we have achieved the objectives we set for ourselves to start it. On the one hand, giving continuity to the mobilizations started by Valencia is not out of the question, expanding its demands through the media. And on the other hand, enhance the popular and community movement, as well as make its activity visible,” the members of the camp said, during the reading of a statement to announce that they were calling it off.
In this way, the camping in the city’s Town Hall square concludes, in which dozens of people participated since last Saturday, October 19, and which originated after the massive demonstration held that same day under the motto ‘València s’ofega’ , called by the Valencia movement is not for sale.
The representatives of the camp who have read the statement have stressed that Valencia’s demands are not for sale and the “collective contributions” of the people who have participated in the open assemblies “have made the will of the neighborhood clear”: “We want a city for those who live in it, that guarantees accessible and decommodified housing, the protection of the territory and the urgent cessation of tourism.”
In more than a week of camping, they have highlighted, “more than a dozen concerts, assemblies and talks with political content have been held, in which thousands of people have participated” and “other cultural, union, technical activities have been carried out.” and equal coexistence.”
Likewise, they have pointed out that “different work groups have been created that have been the central axis of our organization”, something that, they have assured, has been achieved “thanks to solidarity, the care offered by the neighborhood fabric and the support of so many groups and organizations that have worked with us side by side in a twinned manner.”
The members of the housing camp have stressed that “the popular and assembly network has grown, placing the neighborhood of the city and the surrounding towns in contact with the different existing social movements.” “And in the coming months the creation of new spaces will be supported in those neighborhoods and towns where they do not yet exist,” they have advanced.
“At the city level, we will continue working on new mobilizations and occupations of public space,” they stated, while highlighting that “it has been shown that popular networks have the strength to bring the conflict to the doors of City Hall.”
In this sense, they have proclaimed: “Now we are going one step further. If we don’t have a house, only the square is no longer worth it to us, we want everything and we will fight for everything (in Valencian, Si no tenim casa, ja no ens val només la plaça. Ho volem tot i ho lluitarem tot)”.
“From today, October 27, a countdown begins. If there has not been a substantial change in spring, we will fill the streets again and occupy the city,” they have stated, while urging to be “attentive” to “upcoming mobilizations” and have regretted that the port works have begun. and they will “have them in front of them”.
Before reading the statement, the camping participants called a rally and held the last assembly open to the entire population. One of the attendees, Olene, has called to “continue working to ensure that basic conditions are met for decent housing, defense of the territory and control or improvement of tourism in cities.” “I think it is not just a problem for Valencia and we also want to be able to coordinate with the entire State because it is a problem at the state level,” he highlighted.
In that sense, he specified that this Monday the 28th they will hold a meeting with the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community and has indicated that “they are willing to negotiate, to put the work they have done on the table and to be able to continue working together.”
Another of the participants in the camp, Irene, added that Valencia’s demands are not for sale “they have already been delivered to the different institutions to whom they should be directed in each case: City Council, Generalitat and Government Delegation.”
“The dialogue will be based on what is proposed by the administrations, but our strategy is not dialogue with the institution, but rather work from the neighborhoods,” he noted, to which he added that his attitude will be “forward and open.” to this, as always, to the extent that -these institutions- want to dialogue and according to the conditions and the strategy” that is proposed from the neighborhoods.
Asked if the cancellation of the camp will mean new mobilizations, Olene claimed that these “already began on October 19” and that the camp “has been another boost from independent citizens to the València is not for sale platform.”
On the other hand, it has focused on the start of the works on the expansion of the Port of Valencia. “The expansion is also important, there was already drama with La Punta and we cannot forget that there were people who died due to mental health problems,” he denounced.
“We have to support ourselves and help those movements that were already fighting. And success is in the union of all those assemblies, unions and associations that have individual struggles,” Olene highlighted. In this way, it has exemplified recent demonstrations such as this Saturday the 26th against Llíber’s PAI, called before the Government Delegation.
“We are talking about a problem that extends far beyond renting a home, we are talking about also defending the territory, we are talking about climate change, we are talking about quality of life. So I think it is necessary to continue this success of brotherhood and joint struggle and from there the strategy is very clear.”
