II civi inspection of the NATO base in Valencia (Spain)

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday May 17, 2004 19:17 by inspector inspecciociutadana at yahoo dot com

In explicit desobedience of the prohibition established by the Military Penal Code, approximatly 30 persons managed to enter the NATO rapid deployable corps headquarter in Bétera (Valencia, Spain) in order to participate in the II Civil Inspection to this base.

ABOUT 30 CIVIL INSPECTORS MANAGE TO PENETRATE INTO THE NATO BASE BUT POLICE AND MILITARY MAKE IMPOSIBLE THE PENBETRATION INTO THE HIGH SECURITY AREA.

In explicit desobedience of the prohibition established by the Military Penal Code, approximatly 30 persons managed to enter the NATO rapid deployable corps headquarter in Bétera (Valencia, Spain) in order to participate in the II Civil Inspection to this base.

About noon, a caravan of 12 cars (number that includes the police cars) parted from the village Bétera in the direction of the installations that were assigned nearly one year ago to the Atlantic Alliance. In spite of the vigilance around the base, that included a helicopter and a unit of the riot police, the inspection team managed to reach the road that limits the base on its eastern part where the cars were parked and the civil inspectors, dressed with white coats, got out to walk along the base in search of a place to enter and start their inspection. In their search they were escorted by the anti riot corps and, on the other side of the wire fences, several military jeeps followed the movements of the group. Some hundred meters later, the inspection team entered the base crossing the fences. In a couple of minutes, the majority of the inspectors were inside the base and only a few did not manage to enter because of the police hindering them. Once inside, the inspectors began to walk towards the high security area in parallel to the wire fence, and in that moment the police kicked several inspectors.

At the same time, the demonstration that was taking place in the main entrance of the base, started to move to give their direct support to the inspection team.

When the police stopped the march of the inspectors forming a cordon around them, the team decided to set up an inspection camp. In a few seconds, appeared on the military area an improvised white tent supported by sticks, strings and picks, where the inspection team would have a meeting to decide how to continue the inspection. The working place was set up, the lap top being installed, when the police threw down the tent and made it impossible to build it up again. Considering the dificultes to continue the inspection work, the inspectors decided make themselves comfortable and have some lunch, as a gesture to reclaim the closure and devolution of the land for social and ecological purposes.

During the rest of the time of ocupation of the military area and a non cooperative behaviour of the military authorities, the inspectors drank arab tea. Finally, after identifying the inspectors, the police officers proceeded to vacate the inspectors and giving an end to the II Civil Inspection of the NATO base.

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