The Table of the Parliament of Navarra has given the green light unanimously to an institutional declaration in which it expresses its "total rejection" of the homophobic aggression recorded last weekend in Pamplona and states its "absolute support and solidarity" with the two young people who were attacked. The text was promoted by the Chair of the Chamber after the original proposal, submitted by PSN, EH Bildu, Geroa Bai and Contigo-Zurekin, did not move forward in the Board of Spokespersons —where unanimity is required— due to Vox's abstention. This group had submitted an in voce amendment, which has not been processed as that possibility does not formally exist.
In the document approved by the Table —an body in which Vox has no representation— it is stated that the Parliament "expresses its total rejection of the homophobic aggression that took place in Pamplona and shows its absolute support and solidarity with the two young people who were assaulted." Likewise, it "reaffirms, once again, its rejection of any type of LGTBiphobic aggression, and commits to continue working to eliminate them, improve security, and guarantee the full exercise of sexual and gender freedom for all people in all types of environments."
The regional Chamber also calls on citizens to "remain active in the face of any violence against sexual and gender freedom" and emphasizes "the right of all people to decide about their relationships, their body and their sexuality."
In the groups' turn to speak, Javier Esparza, from UPN, pointed out that "it is unacceptable for anyone in Navarra to be assaulted because of their sexual status." "It is unacceptable, it is condemnable; we have voted for it on conviction; absolute support for those two young people," he added, recalling that at the Table the declaration "has been approved unanimously, with votes in favor from UPN, just as we voted in the Board of Spokespersons."
The Socialist spokesperson, Ainhoa Unzu, has condemned the assault and emphasized that "we cannot consider this as an isolated incident or downplay it at all, because it concerns us". "Not only does it concern us, it terrifies us the regression we are seeing in our society," she continued, warning that "we are concerned about having to hear again hateful speeches that we thought we had already overcome many years ago and that are resurfacing". "Behind all those hateful speeches there are people who are suffering their consequences," she pointed out, making it clear that they are not going to "allow ourselves to take even one step back" on rights.
On the part of EH Bildu, Laura Aznal has backed the institutional statement "to express our indignation and our absolute rejection of this aggression" and has reproached that "Vox has been the only force that abstained". "Vox, which is PPN's partner, which is UPN's partner, in this case the order of the factors does not alter the product once again," he said, celebrating that "fortunately" the Parliament Board has ended up approving the declaration.
The PPN spokesperson, Javier García, has insisted that his group supported the text, "condemning any type of aggression, in this case based on sexual orientation."
From Contigo-Zurekin, Carlos Guzmán has expressed his rejection and condemnation of "the disgusting LGTBiphobic aggression" and has extended his "solidarity" to the victims, their families, and the entire LGTBI movement of the Chartered Community. He has underlined that "Navarra and Pamplona have to be lands in which these LGTBiphobic aggressions have not the slightest place" and has lamented that the declaration did not move forward initially "in an incomprehensible way" because "the far right with its abstention has prevented it". "We are going to be in front of any type of fascist aggression, against any type of totalitarian aggression, against any type of anti-democratic aggression, also against any type of LGTBiphobic aggression," he added.
Vox spokesperson Emilio Jiménez has stated that "Vox firmly and unequivocally condemns any aggression against any person, without exceptions, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, nationality, religion or any other personal circumstance." He clarified that they opted for abstention because they had submitted a substitute amendment that was not accepted, "because we do not share the approach of a statement that does not accept incorporating the principle of equality and of universal condemnation that we were proposing."