Serious riots in Bilbao before the final: a young woman, hospitalized

As planned, the Licenciado Poza street in Bilbao, one of the most bars and restaurants in the capital of Biscay, and very close to the stadium San Mamés, served in the hours before the start of the Cup final (that of 2020) so that hundreds of young fans, dressed in red and white, crowded on its sidewalks and its pavement in the preview of the final against Real Sociedad. The adjacent arteries such as María Díaz de Haro and Doctor Areilza also presented a great atmosphere, which It got out of date as more people arrive. To the point that by throwing a bottle a young woman has been transferred to the Basurto Hospital.

Faced with the pandemic that is hitting the Basque Country, several Ertzaintza endowments are stationed in the vicinity taking positions, they have had to intervene, with loads, since with the passing of the hours too many people accumulated, without security measures due to COVID-19. The first loads have occurred before the refusal of the people to disperse and the sirens could be heard throughout the center of Bilbao, with some crossings of containers. Some flares have been burned and firecrackers are thrown. In San Sebastián there were also crowds in the Old Town, but without incident.

On the other hand, in Casco Viejo, the environment has been much calmer, respecting security measures. At 8 p.m. bars throughout the Basque Country have been closed by protocol, although the situation has already gotten out of hand, as happened at the farewell to the Marcelino Garcia Toral in Lezama before traveling to Seville.

Conviction statements

The lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, criticized this Saturday “the denigrating behavior” before the final of the Copa del Rey between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad “by sectors of the majority of young people” in the streets of Bilbao and San Sebastián, some reproaches to which the mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto.

In a comment on a social network, the Lehendakari assured: “Thinking about the suffering suffered as a result of the pandemic, neither as a sports fan nor as a Basque citizen the words come to me in the face of the signs of incitement, lack of solidarity, irresponsibility, which we have already come and are attending.”

Urkullu is “hurt, too, by the lack of honest feeling towards the lyrics of the Athletic Club and Real Sociedad anthems by all the people who, attacking public health and against whom, like the Ertzaintza, only intend to maintain a order in the fulfillment of the measures for the common benefit, they despise the greatness that should be exposed as a differential fact “.

In the same way, the mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, asked “a bit of sanity” to the “madmen” who are mounting incidents before the final. “You do not represent the values ​​of our Athletic or of our city. Please, a little sanity and let us enjoy in peace,” said the mayor.