The protest coincided with the reopening of the Zaragoza Museum following its renovation and the arrival of officials at the building. “The work is inside, the artists are outside” was one of the students’ chants. They also carried a banner reading “We want proper facilities for arts studies.”
The young people held a peaceful sit-in outside the museum. At that point, security personnel closed the gate to prevent incidents and opened it only to allow officials and the media to enter.
One of the most notable moments came with the arrival of the then deputy regional minister for Education and Culture, Juan José Vázquez. After hearing one of the young people ask him to come over and speak with them, Vázquez walked down the stairs and addressed the group. He assured them that they would receive all the explanations they wanted in October.
The deputy regional minister later argued, inside the museum, that the relocation was “necessary” because the Arts School would have more resources. The students maintained the opposite. Nacho, one of the protesters, said that the new site was smaller and did not meet their needs.
The gathering, the students’ chants and the exchange of words with the deputy regional minister marked that day outside the Zaragoza Museum. This is how Aragón Digital reported it 20 years ago, in the original article about the Arts School students’ protest.
