Over 5,000 police and militarised guards block counter protests
from thefreeonline on 6th oct 2o23 by Politico.EU
‘YOUR EUROPE DOES NOT REPRESENT US
Some 3,000 people, according to the organizers, demonstrated this Saturday in the streets of Granada against the summits that will be held in this city on October 5 and 6 on the occasion of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.
Controversy over the itinerary of the demonstration
They wanted the march to take place through the streets of the center – from the Parque del Triunfo to the Congress Palace, where the European leaders will be meeting -, something that the Subdelegation rejected for “security reasons”, but the new route that they have proposed, according to their complaint,
It is located “more than four kilometers away from what was initially planned.”
The protest, under the slogan ‘Another Europe is possible’, has had the participation of thirty political organizations, unions and social movements from different parts of Spain, grouped in the so-called ‘Social Summit of Granada’ to demand “other policies “European policies that put the lives of people and the planet at the center”.
The march, which passed without incident, left at 12:30 p.m. from the Fuente de las Batallas with a festive and protesting atmosphere. The participants toured the main artery of the city with banners such as “Your Europe does not represent us” or “We do not eat money” until concluding with the reading of a manifesto in the Parque del Triunfo.
49 leaders, 700 journalists, dozens of bilateral meetings … and no decisions.
The summit, attended by some 50 European leaders, dozens of aides, and legions of journalists, was a fiasco. The meeting failed to make any significant progress in resolving the conflicts on the doorstep of Europe or any other regional problem, Azernews reports.
The sense of fruitlessness of the informal summit culminated when the host country, Spain, canceled a planned press conference at the last minute, the expected highlight of the summit for about 700 journalists.
It was meant to include statements and formally mark the handing over of the stewardship of the European Political Community from Spain to the United Kingdom.
Juan Carlos, a reader who lives in Granada, writes that he wishes more attention was paid to a protest civil society groups organised yesterday in the city.
“Unfortunately we were not allowed to come too close to the place where the summit is taking place, since the city has become a fortress to the dismay of many people living here,” he writes.
“Beyond the scenery, Granada is a city in trouble. With massive climate change-related challenges and with totally neglected neighbourhoods. We believe a different Granada and a different Europe is possible.”
Two police officers stand guard at San Nicolas viewpoint overlooking the Alhambra where European leaders are gathering Granada. Photograph: Fermin Rodriguez/AP
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The Free 