The Balearic Islands brings back the Lighting of the Towers and Watchtowers of the Mediterranean for Human Rights in person
The defence towers will be lit up on 15th January for Human Rights.
The appointment is double, at 13:00, with smoke signals, and at 18:30 hours, with light signals.

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The vice-president of the Consell and councillor for Culture, Heritage and Linguistic Policy, Bel Busquets, has presented this week this year’s edition of the Lighting of Towers and Watchtowers of the Mediterranean for Human Rights, called for this Saturday 15th January at 1 pm and 6.30 pm. Busquets stressed that “this year’s edition is once again being held in person after last year’s move to social networks due to the pandemic and with the aim of keeping the flame alive”.

“Right now, we have a very good number of confirmed points of ignition, a hundred in total, and we have the novelty that in this sixth edition there will be points in all the Balearic Islands and also in Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia,” explained the vice president who added that the aim of the event is “to promote a moment of reflection on heritage and the vindication of human rights. So far there are 58 confirmed venues in Mallorca and around fifteen in the Mediterranean area of the peninsula, as well as some in Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.

The Direcció Insular de Patrimoni will once again lead the Lighting of Towers and Watchtowers of the Mediterranean for Human Rights, which will take place on Saturday 15th January 2022, thanks to the collaboration of the Consell of Mallorca, Amnesty International, the Institute of Marratxí and the Mallorcan Fund for Solidarity and Cooperation, as well as the 112 Emergency Service and the town councils that have joined in. This year, Maria del Mar Bonet has drawn up the manifesto.

Pep Lluís Pol, the representative of IES Marratxí, recalled that the initiative began at the school in 2017 and thanked the Direcció Insular de Patrimoni for taking on the coordination. He also had words of praise and gratitude for the people who volunteer to make the lighting possible.

On the other hand, Carles Martín, spokesperson for Amnesty International in Mallorca, acknowledged that events such as the Lighting of the Towers and Watchtowers of the Mediterranean for Human Rights encourage and strengthen his organisation to continue working.

Also taking part in the press conference was Antònia Rosselló, coordinator of the Mallorcan Fund for Solidarity and Cooperation, who considered that this event represents the union of the peoples of the Mediterranean and especially remembers those people who seek a better life on the other side of the Mediterranean, where all too often they lose their lives. Roselló reminded the participants of the invitation to Palestine that it will be particularly difficult for them to join in.

Institutions and civil society have been invited to join in on 15 January to light up towers, watchtowers, castles, bell towers and other high points on the coast and in inland villages to communicate at 1 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., with smoke signals on the first date and light signals on the second.