Demonstration in defense of the Ebro overflows Amposta

The Terres de l'Ebre (Ebro Lands) were witness on Sunday to the largest demonstration in defense of the Ebro River ever seen in the region. With the slogan "The Ebro without flow volume is the death of the Delta", some 50,000 people —according to City Hall sources— demonstrated in Amposta to demand an environmentally worthy flow volume for the final stretch of the Ebro River. This is a spectacular figure for demonstrators when you consider that the overall population of the Terres de l'Ebre is 180,000. The attendance can be explained by the massive arrival of people coming from all around Catalonia, thanks to a call to action by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural, the two main grassroots, pro-independence groups. "We believe that the presence of people who came from all over Catalonia is something more than a show of solidarity. It is a way of understanding the nation. They have seen a part of their nation severely threatened, and it deserves to be defended", noted Manolo Tomàs, spokesman for the Platform in Defense of the Ebro (PDE), during the closing speeches.

It was a peaceful and festive demonstration that filled the streets of Amposta for 1,700 meters, which fell short in providing space for the human flood. The icy wind didn't stop people from wearing blue t-shirts with a knot pictured on it (the Platform’s logo), and this time many "estelades" (Catalan nationalist flags) were seen along with blue banners.

Also, it is the first time that a demonstration by the PDE has received the explicit support of the Catalan government. The government's commitment to the Terres d l'Ebre was made clear by the participation of Carme Forcadell, president of the Parliament, and three ministers: Josep Rull (Territory and Sustainability); Oriol Junqueras, (Economy and Vice President of the government); and Carles Mundó, (Justice). "This plan approved by the acting PP government is a bad plan for the Ebro Delta because it does not guarantee sufficient environmental flow volume, and bad for irrigable land because it does not prioritize modernization and sustainability", proclaimed Rull, who despite this did not specify if the Catalan government will renounce any of the 150,000 hectares of new irrigable lands that the Basin Plan provides for Catalonia. "We believe that the irrigable lands and the minimum flow volume can be compatible", was all he would say. "We are convinced that the European Union will play a key role in stopping the plan", added Junqueras.

Besides the members of the Government, who held placards with the mayors of Amposta and Tortosa, Adam Tomàs and Ferran Bel, respectively, there was a significant presence of members of Parliament, all of the political parties except C's and the PP, and also some from the Congress in Madrid, such as Xavier Domènech of En Comú Podem (Podemos). There were also mayors of many towns around the Terres de l'Ebre and throughout Catalonia, as well as MEPs such as Ramon Tremosa and Ernest Urtasun. Urtasun is a member of the delegation of European MPs that will visit the Delta on Monday to prepare a report on the effects that the Basin Plan could have on the final stretch of river. "We will ask the European Commission to stop this because it violates European Community directives on water and birds. The minimum flow volumes must be established first and if water is left over afterward, then the uses can be determined, and not the other way round, as this plan does", said Urtasun, who was also critical of the Catalan Government for its irrigation policy.

It was a demonstration focused on Europe and with its eyes on this visit. And this was very clear in the closing speeches. "We ask Europe to intervene to stop this hydrologic plan, and this rally is our letter of application. Only in this way can we stop it", pointed out Manolo Tomàs, spokesman for the PDE. "We are confident that we will win; it is impossible not to, with the strength of all of you", added Matilde Font, another spokesperson. "We are not against anyone, nor against the irrigators. We are against speculation with the river water", snapped Susanna Abella, also with the PDE. In fact, in spite of the opposition from the irrigators of Lleida, the demonstration also received the support of Catalonia’s Farmers' Union, with its own banner and two tractors leading the march.

The march began at 12 noon in Parc dels Xiribecs and ended just before 2pm in front of the suspension bridge in Amposta, an city landmark, with speeches by the Platform in Defense of the Ebro, the reading of a manifesto by Amparo Moreno —a journalist and Professor at the University of Barcelona— and various musical performances. It is clear that the rallies will continue, and another has been announced for the spring.