On 17, 18 and 19 April, activists from ECOAR))) took part in the second germination of the Revoltes de la Terra, in Bages, Barcelona. A mobilisation of thousands of people from different collectives, a gathering of the environmental, pro-Palestinian and territorial defence movements. A mass mobilisation to confront the company ICL (Israel Chemicals Limited), which is causing an ecocide in Catalonia and collaborating with the genocide in Gaza.
On Saturday 17th, the protest saw hundreds of activists sabotage a long stretch of railway track used solely to transport potash to Barcelona, temporarily halting the company’s operations. Meanwhile, a thousand people climbed Cogulló, a huge mountain of salt waste dumped by ICL in Sallent, which has become the second-highest mountain in Bages. At the summit, a human mosaic formed the words PROU SAL (enough salt already) to demand the immediate dismantling of these mountains of waste. Finally, a convoy of bicycles, cars and tractors blocked two motorways, ending up in the Eixample district, a neighbourhood that has fallen into ruin as a result of ICL’s activities.The objectives of the mobilisation were:
1. To expel ICL from the region. ICL continues to pollute the Cardener and Llobregat rivers with impunity despite the rulings against it, as well as having direct links to the genocide in Palestine, supporting the Israeli army and supplying white phosphorus used in Gaza.
2. To halt the disaster. The white mountains of waste continue to grow and poison the rivers and the land, and will continue to do so for thousands of years unless we dismantle them.
3. To regenerate and inhabit the land. ICL and the Catalan Government must provide the necessary resources to drive regeneration processes defined by the affected stakeholders and which guarantee dignified lives in the region. ICL has caused an ecocide in Bages. The Israeli multinational arrived in Catalonia in 1998 to privatise the salt and potash mining operations in Sallent and Súria.
ICL is directly responsible for the salinisation of the Llobregat river basin, which has led to the salinisation of groundwater and of the Llobregat and Cardener rivers, the loss of fertile soil and biodiversity, and a severe impact on the landscape due to the presence of waste mountains and salt spoil heaps that are taller than other mountains in the area. Furthermore, the neighbourhood around Sallent station had to be evacuated in 2009 due to the risk of collapse, and three geologists died after being buried following the collapse of a tunnel, with their bodies never being recovered. ICL has been sued numerous times, but after more than 10 years of complaints, it still fails to comply with the sentences handed down for environmental crimes.
As if that were not enough, ICL is directly complicit in the genocide in Gaza. This company extracts potash from the Dead Sea, plundering the resources of the Palestinian people. It is a key player in the occupation’s economy and collaborates with the Israeli army, providing financial support to Israeli soldiers responsible for war crimes and genocide. Furthermore, ICL markets white phosphorus for bombs used in Gaza. These bombs release an incendiary substance that causes irreversible burns to people, which is why their use has been banned by international conventions in densely populated areas. The Israeli army has dropped white phosphorus bombs on UN schools and hospitals in Gaza.
The mobilisation by Revoltes de la Terra was an example of local resistance, the building of popular power and self-organisation. Over three days, we not only stood up to ICL, but also fostered a counter-culture through parades, concerts, round-table discussions and workshops.
Revoltes de la Terra emerged from the convergence of struggles in defence of the territories of the Catalan Countries, with the aim of creating synergies to take action; collectively deciding which threats are most urgent so that we can halt them on a massive scale; and building spaces where we can live. Website: https://www.revoltesdelaterra.cat/