To learn more about the first encampment in Valencia, I reached out to Dr. Jorge Ramos Tolosa, who teaches contemporary history at UV. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, he is a longtime activist with BDS Valencia and the Red Solidaria contra la Ocupación de Palestina (RESCOP), a network of Spanish organizations working in solidarity with Palestine.

A fiery tradition in Valencia, Spain, called Las Fallas is held annually from March 1 to 19. Festivities happen throughout the day and night, including firework shows like the grandiose and explosive Nit del Foc on March 18, which uses between two to 4.5 tons of gunpowder, and parades such as La Ofrenda and Mascleta. On March 19, the burning of freestanding doll-like figures called ninots, La Cremà, makes the city a chaotic playground that reflects upon social and political realities of the day.