The Security Councillor, Bingen Zupiria, has lamented "the charges and situations" that occurred last Saturday at Loiu airport during the reception of Flotilla members, taking responsibility "in the first person". He also admitted that "that is not the way to resolve conflicts" and that he is "concerned about those images" that have been disseminated, while also criticizing the "pure provocation" behaviors by "some individuals".

Zupiria made these statements to the media in the Biscayan town of Durango, following the incidents recorded last Saturday at Loiu airport during the arrival of members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, where four people were arrested for disobedience, serious resistance, and an attack on an authority agent.

The Security Councillor highlighted that Saturday was "a complicated day" for security in Euskadi, as it coincided with the European rugby finals in Bilbao, a demonstration against the construction of large infrastructures, and the reception of Alavés in Vitoria, in addition to the reception at Bilbao airport.

As he specified, at the Loiu terminal, "the primary goal was to ensure that those arriving could receive greetings from those waiting for them, and also that those leaving the airport could do so normally". However, "given the images", he believes "it is evident" that "neither one nor the other was achieved".

Zupiria lamented "what happened yesterday, and moreover, doubly so". "I regret the incidents, the charges, and the situations that occurred, and I regret it especially because it had been agreed how that situation should have unfolded," he stated, specifying that the Ertzaintza officials had spoken with the airport security managers and the representatives of the gathered individuals, and therefore, "what happened should not have happened".

Thus, he regretted that "the truth is that, as a consequence of provocations and various shoves, that situation occurred which I believe benefits neither the country, nor the Ertzaintza, nor society in general".

In any case, he pointed out that, in his opinion, "that is not the way to resolve conflicts" and that what happened "once again shows that we do not all know how to manage some situations normally".

Zupiria assured that, as head of the Security Department, he assumes "in the first person the responsibility for what happened yesterday in Loiu". He also assumes "the responsibility of investigating whether the actions of the Ertzaintza agents involved in these incidents complied with the directives in force that establish the behavior of the Ertzaitza, and also the responsibility of analyzing the behavior of some individuals who provoked yesterday's situation".

He insisted that the situation "should not have happened" and that "those responsible for these matters must analyze whether the Ertzaintza adhered to the current guidelines", but also "some behaviors that occurred in the airport's departure area, which are highly provocative, must be analyzed". According to him, some can be described as "pure provocation".

When asked about the image projected of the Ertzaintza, he remarked that the Basque police are "one of the self-governing institutions that generate the most trust in Basque society" and admitted that he is concerned that "our country and our police appear linked to the situations that occurred yesterday".

"Because," he added, "I am also aware that we are dealing with an issue that has generated much sensitivity throughout Europe and especially in Euskadi, namely the cause of the Palestinian people. And therefore, those images concern me".