Kukutza
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Kukutza was a gaztetxe (self managed social center) of the neighbourhood of Recalde of Bilbao. It worked as a free space, occupied and self managed, and was used as a youth, cultural and spare time center with activities between 1996 and 2011. In those 15 years it had 3 different buildings . The first one, Kukutza I, was used in 1996 and just for 3 months, then Kukutza II in 1998 and for 2 months, and finally, Kukutza III, which worked between 1998 and 2011 and had a large activity programme. It was set in an abandoned factory and stopped working in 2011 because it was violently evicted by the police.[1]
From the beginning Kukutza was used for providing the neighbours of Recalde cultural and spare time activities, which weren't offered by the institutions. In the case of Kukutza III, it used to be a place of meeting for many groups of Recalde. Nevertheless, it had influence in the whole Bilbao and started being a reference place for artist all over the Basque country.[2] They boasted many types of activities, as dance and hiking groups, a library, a canteen, a pub, theatre classes… In 2011 its eviction was ordered with the excuse that they were going to build homes there, but up to now nothing has been built and shopkeepers have complained because the neighbourhood has lost life.[3]
Contents
Kukutza I
In 1996 it was occupied by young people of Recalde, Irala, Indautxu, Basurto and Zornotza. It was the first "gaztetxe" in Recalde, and was settled in a building that had been empty for 11 years.
3 months later it was demolished, without any previous notice. 2 days later the "gaztetxe" Mina del Morro od Santutxu was also demolished, and the same year the major of Bilbao. Previously Josu Ortuondo also ordered the eviction of the "gaztetxe" of the old town of Bilbao.[4]
Kukutza II
Kukutza II was occupied in 1998 in the street Larraskitu of Recalde. The Ertzaintza tried the eviction since the first day but they weren't able to do it. In June they found toxic substances and they closed provisionally the place, while they also made a plague of rats disappear. Finally, in June 1998, it was definitively evicted, with 4 people under arrest.
Kukutza III
Kukutza III started the 6 August 1998 with the occupation of the old factory Cerezo in Recalde. There were many legal problems with the building, and the neighbours of Recalde asked it to be used as a cultural center. Although some institutions claimed that the building was perfect for cultural activities, the town hall didn't give it any protection.[5]
Eviction and demolition
The 21 September 2011 the police helped to the Ertzaintza in the eviction of the building, which was criticised by the union ELA.[6] The demonstrations of protest between the police and the young people brought many riots all over Bilbao for the next few days.[7][8][9] As a result of the riots, 810 rubbish bins were knocked over, and some of them were also burnt or broken. In addition, 10 vehicles were burnt and the batzokis (social center of the Basque Nationalist Party) of Recalde and the old town were attacked. The damages were measured to be of €140,000.[10] 64 people were arrested in the demonstrations [11] and 76 medical reports of injuries and 53 complaints for police brutality were recorded.[1][12] The mayor of Bilbao Iñaki Azkuna and the home affairs counsellor Rodolfo Ares defended the police action in these incidents.[13] Nevertheless, it was called to be disproportionate by the Ombudsman Iñigo Lamarca [1][12] Finally the demolition took place 24 September.
Judicial processes
Although most of the denunciations were closed for the impossibility of identifying the implicated officers, one of them was penalised with paying a fine and a compensation for assaulting a girl "unnecessarily".[14]
In addition, most of the people processed for taking part in the demonstrations were absolved.[15] In February 2015 one of the arrested people in the eviction was convicted to 3 years in prison for aggravated assault on officers.[16]
See also
Bibliography
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />, or <references group="..." />External links
- Blog del gaztetxe Kukutza.
- «La historia y el trabajo del gaztetxe Kukutza».
- «Kukutza: Crónica de 3 días de ocupación de un barrio».
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 La actuación de la Ertzaintza en Kukutza fue desproporcionada, EiTB, 24 May 2012.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ «El Colegio de Arquitectos Vasco Navarro elabora un informe sobre Kukutza», El Mundo, 23 September 2011.
- ↑ El sindicato ELA-Ertzaintza critica su "utilización interesada en el desalojo de Kukutza", ELA, 23 September 2011.
- ↑ Disturbios en Rekalde tras el cierre de un centro juvenil, RTVE, 24 September 2011.
- ↑ Continúan los disturbios en Rekalde y otras zonas de Bilbao, La Información, 24 September 2011.
- ↑ Los disturbios por el derribo de Kukutza se trasladan al Ayuntamiento de Bilbao, El País, 23 September 2011.
- ↑ Alegría, Arantza. «Los destrozos por los disturbios contra el cierre de Kukutza ascienden a 140.000 euros, Cadena Ser, 26 September 2011.
- ↑ Los okupas de Kukutza pensaban que el edificio era de un narco que había huido, El Correo, 28 January 2015.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Goikoetxea, Agustín. El Ararteko pone en cuestión el violento desalojo de Kukutza III, Gara, 25 May 2012.
- ↑ Igea, Octavio. Rodolfo Ares: "Kukutza fue un pretexto para arrasar Bilbao", El Correo, 7 October 2011.
- ↑ Confirman la multa al agente que agredió a una joven cerca de Kukutza, EiTB, 6 November 2013.
- ↑ El abogado de los acusados denuncia que el solar de Kukutza sigue vacío, Naiz, 28 January 2015.
- ↑ Solo un condenado en el ‘caso Kukutza’, Deia, 8 February 2015.
