It reads: 'No a los Derribos Ilegales' and it was the phrase used on Sunday 27th January by the protestors gathered in Vera by the Ciudadanos Europeos.The protest was called after an English couple, Len and Helen Prior, had their house demolished earlier this month by order of the courts after the Junta de Andalucía had arbitrarily decided that their home was illegal - despite having all correct papers and having lived in a quiet Vera rural area near the ITV station for over five years. This was and is the only recent demolition in Almería province as the Junta de Andalucía tries to wrest power in urban affairs from the ayuntamientos. Around 1,000 homes have been declared 'illegal' by thae regional government - but only one has been demolished.
On Wednesday the ninth of this month, the bulldozers arrived - allowing just two hours for this retired couple to empty out their home of possessions.
In the end, around 800 people came to the demonstration to lend their support to the Priors. Speakers were Lenox Napier, Ángel Medina, Paco Vázquez - the councillor for urban development for Vera, and Helen Prior.
