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ISSUE NO. 1476
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Immigrants saved at sea EIGHTEEN male immigrants were rescued at sea, 50 miles off Cartagena. All were in good health and are now awaiting deportation to their country of origin.
Pedal power MORE than 250 people took part in Orihuela’s cycling tour around the city’s streets to mark World Car Free Day.
Bank protest ALMOST 50 protesters from the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) were evicted from a Murcia bank by police.
17 - 23 OCTOBER 2013
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Hands off our land! Family fights to save garden from developers By Gemma Quinn A FAMILY which has been fighting a controversial land-grab order of their garden had to call the police after two builders started to demolish their perimeter wall. Thirteen years after being told that developers were to take the majority of their land, and six years since they last heard anything, the Wesenauer family are once again facing the fight of their lives. April and Hans bought their finca on the Lomas de Don Juan urbanisation, Campoamor, in 1996, making the move from Austria with their three daughters. “We wanted a peaceful, simple existence, a home to bring up our family,” they said.
April and Hans with their two youngest daughters Kimberley and Love. That peace was shattered when in 2000 they received a letter stating that they were to be the victims of the LRAU land-grab law, which allowed developers to take land for development if they could prove it was for the good of the community. Under the law, the
constructor wanted to take a proportion of their 3,450-square-metre plot. To add insult to injury, they were also demanding €44,000 from the Wesenauers for ‘infrastructure costs’. In 2001, night-time fires were set around the family’s property, destroying the natural
pine forest and clearing the land to make way for construction. What ensued was years of legal battles and letters to every possible higher authority, including the prime minister and the European Union. Since 2007 all had been quiet and the family thought they had won. That was until two men arrived at their property last week and ripped out 60 metres of their perimeter fencing. April was in New York Turn to Page 4