Hernani City Council has detected eight racist incidents and one sexist attack during the San Juan holidays

The City Council explains that these events are a reflection of the attitudes that are taking place in society and advances that measures and spaces will be put in place to respond to the concerns of citizens and to promote coexistence.

Hernani City Council explained on Thursday that it has been established that eight racist incidents and one sexist attack have occurred during the town's San Juan festivities. 

The Hernani City Council Holiday Commission has reported the balance of the San Juan holidays on the City Council's website Edala and has provided these data.

The most serious events occurred in the early morning hours of 24 June, when the Ertzaintza had to intervene several times because several people wanted to attack a man, and finally the Municipal Police had to enter the City Hall to protect him. 

A 17-year-old was arrested on charges of public disorder.

Subsequently, the Citizen Reception Network reported that the incident "began with a confrontation between a group of young people from Hernani and young people of Maghreb origin, one of whom was injured and reported".

According to this group, this event "was then used" for a real Moorish hunt on the streets against young Maghreb men who had no connection with the original incident. "

Hernani City Council has reported six incidents on the night of 23 June, six of which were "targeted by persons of Maghreb origin". In addition to the events of that night, it has been informed of two other incidents involving "injured persons" and of a sexist attack.

At the end of the Sanjuans, the Hernani City Council has thanked the committees, associations and staff of the parties and txosnas, as well as the citizens "who have come out to enjoy the holidays."

However, the City Council has lamented the events that have "hindered coexistence" in the town and has specified that "in the same direction as in recent weeks, there have been several attacks based on racism". 

"We tend to say that the holidays are a mirror of our society. Unfortunately, in this year's Sanjuans there are a number of unrest and attitudes that are taking place in society at the moment. The situation in the country requires a process of reflection that takes account of them and is based on coexistence." 

After pointing out that they have been working on these situations "from different perspectives" for a few months now, the Hernani City Council has advanced that "in response to the growing concern in the village, it will strengthen this task and promote different spaces for dealing with the issue".

To this end, external assistance will be contracted as an expert on the subject of coexistence and, among other things, a multidisciplinary table will be set up with the aim of "responding to the issue from different perspectives".

In this regard, they have specified that "the problems will be defined and the concrete responses to their solution will be designed, all with the aim of strengthening local cohesion and strengthening the community".