The Junta of Castilla y León, governed by the PP and Vox, has denied the use of a public conservatory in Palencia to hold a concert for peace and to denounce the massacre committed by Israel on Gaza.
The musical event was scheduled for the afternoon of this Tuesday, January 30, school day of non-violence and peace, a date when schools usually organize solidarity or protest events towards international conflicts.
Some groups of fathers and mothers from Palencia had organized concerts at the conservatory of the city of Palencia, but the Board, responsible for these spaces, has revoked the authorization it initially granted.
The delegate of the Board in the province of Palencia, José Antonio Rubio, has justified the measure because “acts that have political connotations are not authorized” in an “educational center.”
The first to present the Board's decision was the provincial federation of the parents' associations of the public centers of Palencia (FAPA).
“We have been forced to suspend this event, since the Junta de Castilla y León does not authorize an event of these characteristics to be held in its facilities,” they have lamented on their social networks despite having everything prepared for the concert, with a small capacity and no profit motive.
The events with the “political connotation” described by the representative of the regional government in Palencia consisted of broadcasting part of the performance of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, the reading of some poems about non-violence by the children and that other young students from the conservatory performed some compositions.
The permit, initially granted, was revoked last Friday, which led to the suspension of the concert.
We have been forced to suspend this event since the @juntadecastillayleon does not authorize an event of these characteristics to be held in its facilities #diadelapazylanoviolenciaescolar #humanrights #educaciónparalapaz #ampas #fapa #palencia pic.twitter.com/9C1PUHYPDW
— Fapa Palencia (@FapaPalencia) January 29, 2024
“It is a very dangerous and very political act,” Satus Jiménez, the president of the Palencia FAPA, ironically responds to the arguments of the Board.
In the first instance, he affirms, the management of the professional music conservatory of Palencia had given them permission to use their facilities, but as soon as the poster was spread and the allusions to Gaza and Palestine were made, the rejection came: “They called us to tell us that the event with those characteristics could not be held.”
Jiménez points to political orders to justify the change in position of those responsible for the conservatory.
The groups tried to find a place to hold the concert during the weekend, but they did not succeed, hence the effort to reschedule the event for next week: “It is important that educational centers work to see where they are. "Young people and children suffer more."
The woman is surprised by the position of the Junta de Castilla y León, with no one having contacted them to explain the measure.
“It has no political connotation or anything like that, we defend public education, peace and human rights,” she says.
“Peace has no contenders, that's the only thing you can say, it doesn't make any sense.
"I don't know if it is the ideology of the Board or if they have not understood the message."
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The coordinator of Izquierda Unida (IU) in Castilla y León, Juan Gascón from Palencia, criticizes the intervention of the regional Executive.
“It is quite striking that it cannot be organized, events and rallies have been held in educational centers as is done on November 25 against sexist violence,” he is surprised.
Israel's offensive on Palestine in retaliation for the terrorist attack by the Hamas militia on October 7 has resulted in more than 25,000 deaths of the civilian population of Gaza, 80% women and children, which is why the educational platforms had thought about these concerts for peace with Palestine in the focus.
“It's the school day for peace, it fit perfectly,” says Gascón, who criticizes what he understands as an act of censorship by the Board.
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