Ittiri: Hundreds of people gather in the square to say no to wind energy development.
Protesters from all over Sardinia against the Alas 1 projectVideo di Caterina Fiori
"Bessimiche de Ittiri - Get Out of Ittiri." This was written in red on the asphalt in the square on Via Antonio Manca, welcoming hundreds of protesters from across Sardinia to attend the meeting of committees opposing the Alas 1 wind farm project, ten 200-meter-tall wind turbines on Monte Unturzu. "Being here today is crucial because the Alas project risks desecrating a sacred place," said Maria Grazia Demontis, president of the Gallura Coordination for the Defense of Sardinia.
"Although construction has already begun, it's not too late." The committees reiterate that they are not opposed to renewable energy, but challenge what they call a model of "energy speculation." "We are in Ittiri to say no to a devastating project in an area of extraordinary environmental value," said Davide Fadda of the Permanent Presidium of the Sardinian People, while Cristiano Sabino of the Comitadu pro sa Nurra called for "an energy transition in the best interests of the Sardinians, not imposed from above."
The mayor of Orgosolo, Pasquale Mereu, also attended the demonstration, urging Sardinians to mobilize against the new projects currently being approved. At the end of the meeting, the protesters marched to the construction site on Monte Unturzu, the home of griffon vultures, waving flags, without making noise or honking, out of respect for the local birds that nest here.
