Basque Info

You can listen to this week's Basque Info with the main news and an interview with Alana  Avery and Eddie Molloy about their latest short film on the Basque Country:

-Uruguay and the Basque Country linked by solidarity.

-Police operation against ETA.

-More police repression during Bilbao's festivals.

-A grandmother imprisoned for protesting against political apartheid.

-Spanish fascist attacks spread.

-Uruguay and the Basque Country linked by solidarity.

In August 1994 thousands of people took to the streets of Uruguay to defend the right of
3 Basque political refugees not to be extradited. They had previously done the same in
1992 when 30 Basques were arrested. But on the evening of August 24, 1994, the Basque supporters were attacked by the police with machine guns and horses and swords outside the hospital where the 3 Basques were on hunger and thirst strike. The police shot dead Fernando Morroni and later on photographer Roberto Facal was stabbed to death by masked men. He had been taking pictures of the police attack. Many more were badly injured.

Every year different events on both sides of the Atlantic remember the huge price paid by
the Uruguayan people during their display of solidarity with the Basque people.

This year's 15^th anniversary conmemoration in Bilbao had a very special guest: Fernando Morroni's mother. It was her first time in the Basque Country and she was absolutely overwhelmed by the love and support she received. At the stage she was welcomed by one of the Basques who was on hunger and thirst strike when her son was killed. In a very emotional speech she expressed her pride for her son and the Uruguayan people and said that she always had the Basque Country in her heart.

2,000 people marched in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Monday to demand the truth and justice.
The protesters carried Basque prisoners' pictures and expressed once again their support
for the right to self-determination for the Basque Country.

-Police operation against ETA.

Three Basque activists were arrested last Wednesday in the French Alps. They have been
accused of being members of ETA's logistics team. Since the arrests 12 arms dumps have
been found across France by joint Spanish and French police squads. According to the
authorities, along with weaponry and documents 900 kilos of explosives were found.

In the arrested activists' hometowns protests were organised. In Ondarru the
Basque-Spanish police attacked the demonstration and one elderly person had to be taken
to hospital. In Lesaka the Spanish Guardia Civil police occupied the town for hours.

-More police repression during Bilbao's festivals.

Last Thursday dozens of Basque-Spanish policemen entered the festival's main area and
took down Basque political prisoners' pictures and banners from several open air bars.
Some volunteer staff were identified and will be added to the long list of people charged
with "glorifying terrorism". This list could reach 1,000 people by the end of the summer.
Punters chanted slogans against the police and the names of the local Basque political
prisoners were suddenly played through the bars' speakers to the despair of the policemen.

Two demonstrations were banned during the festivals. One of them had been called with the slogan, "In favor of freedom of speech, democracy!"

During the main day of the festivals last Thursday three different demonstrations had
been called to show solidarity with the Basque political prisoners. In the morning 1,000
people took part and were attacked by the Basque-Spanish police. Three people were
arrested. In the afternoon 500 people took part and the police charged again, causing
several injuries. One prisoner's mother had to be taken to the hospital.

In the evening another demonstration began and was immediately attacked by the police but finally reached the end and disbanded. At least another two people had to hospitalised.

Later on that night a council bus was burnt in response to the police repression.

However the traditional Bilbao festival's annual rally in favour of the Basque national
flag took place with hundreds of participants in attendance who confronted the bad
weather with music and a colourful parade. For many years riots spread in the city during
the festivals when the Spanish flag was displayed.

-A grandmother imprisoned for protesting against political apartheid.

A 61-year-old grandmother has been sentenced to four years in jail for protesting against
the banning of Basque pro-independence parties.

In the small village of Lizartza the pro-independence candidates got 187 votes but none
of them became a councillor due to the Spanish government's ban on pro-independence
parties. The Spanish conservative party PP only got 27 votes but as a result of the
bannings it is the only party in the local council. The pro-Spanish mayor is not even
from the village. A boycott campaign was started by the locals. At one of those protests
the 61-year-old grandmother was spotted by the mayor who accused her of trying to attack her. The outcome was the grandmother will have to spend the next four years in jail for an alleged attempt to attack an elected figure.

The sentence has caused outrage across the Basque Country. The grandmother says she feels very angry but proud at the same time for going to prison for a political cause.

-Spanish fascist attacks spread.

The town halls of Arbizu and Oiartzun were sprayed with pro-Spanish fascist slogans and
logos threatening the local pro-independence mayors and councillors. Just one month ago
an Arbizu pro-independence activist was kidnapped and tortured by a pro-Spanish
paramilitary gang. A car used by another pro-independence activist was also attacked in
Orkoien.

Three pro-independence bars in Irunea/Pamplona were sprayed over the weekend with Spanish fascist slogans just hours after their managers were called to appear at the Spanish Special Court for displaying Basque political prisoners' pictures inside. Two republican memorials were destroyed in the nearby Ezkaba mountain also.

These attacks and many others are spreading across the Basque Country during this summer and come in the midst of a huge criminalisation campaign launched by the Spanish authorities and media against the pro-independence movement.


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Irish Basque Solidarity Committees
irishbsc@gmail.com
www.irishbasquecommittees.blogspot.com