The Gamonal Uprising or Gamonal Conflict was a working class uprising in the neighborhood of Gamonal in the city of Burgos, Spain in 2014.
Background
Gamonal was a largely working class neighborhood that the local government and real estate developers attempted to gentrify the neighborhood by construction of a new boulevard. Anger stemmed from government corruption, the use of public money for private gain while cutting off school and hospital services for claims that they couldn't be afforded and the loss of free parking spaces. There were several peaceful protests and petitions but they were ineffective.[1]
Uprising
The Uprising began on the 10th of January, as protesters physically blocked construction workers from working on the project. They were evicted by police, and protesters attacked the police with rocks, leading to a riot. Over the next few days, every night saw the burning of police cars and police stations, sabotage of construction equipment and attacking banks. The Mayor of the city condemned the violence but on the 14th of January agreed to the protesters demands, pleading with them to stop their violence (which killed no one).[2]
Result
The uprising succeeded in stopping the development project, preventing an increase in rents and prices in the area.[3]
References
- ↑ Wikipedia (Spanish) - https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflicto_de_Gamonal_de_2014#Contexto_y_situación
- ↑ Wikipedia (Spanish) - https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflicto_de_Gamonal_de_2014#Cronología
- ↑ Peter Gelderloos (2015) The Failure of Nonviolence - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-the-failure-of-nonviolence