Protest against "the repressive, reactionary and undemocratic nature" of spanish state

Late yesterday afternoon a Basque solidarity protest was witnessed by staff of the Spanish Legation's commercial office in Molesworth Street, Dublin (very near to the Irish parliament, the Dáil).  The protest had been organised by the Dublin branch of the Irish Basque Solidarity Committees to protest the repressive, reactionary and undemocratic nature of the current Presidency of the European Union.  The protesters shouted in English and in Castillian (Spanish), accusing the state of arrests and torture of political activists, banning political parties and closing newspapers, pointing out that it is the only state in the EU that regularly tortures political detainees, for which it has been condemned by committees of the EU, of the UN and in every annual report by Amnesty International since such reports were initiated..  The protesters also carried placards denouncing the Spanish state for these actions and also for the kidnapping, torture and death of Jon Anza.  This was the second public protest in a series planned by the Dublin branch -- the previous one had been in April and the third is planned for June.