BASQUE COUNTRY: TWO DEMONSTRATORS IMPRISONED FOR DEMANDING THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS

by Xare Tue Sep 17, 2002 19:43

This message is been sent to Indymedia Basque Country by one of the detainees' brother:

By My brother Oier, is been arrested and is now prisoner in Basauri, accused to belonging to an armed band, public disorder, insults, violence, attempts of killing....
Oier is one of those who stood naked, last saturday 14th of september in the demonstration for democratic rights in the Basque Country in Bilbao.
Eibar, a 16th of September of 2002

Saturno eats his own children. When society becomes deaf to the shouts of its' members and has no capacity to answer to words with words; when it lacks the capacity to answer to words with words: when the right to disagree gets mixed up with the support to the idea of the enemy; whean rationality gets trashed in ordert to put flags up in the wind: when a society thinks only in terms of political rentability. Then this society is sick and can dye, it gets affected in its weakes point: the elemental rights like the right to live and the right for freedom.

The dream of rationality produces monsters. And rationality in our country seems to be more and more anesthesized.

My brother Oier, is been arrested and is now prisoner in Basauri, accused of belonging to an armed group, public disorder, insults, violence and attempt of killings.... That is what I see on the news.
I can see you youngsters, defenseless, naked, traying to stop barbarism with the only violence of their passive resistance, in an actitude, that reminds me more that one of Ghandi than the one of Jack the ripper.
Of course Ghandi, was shot, and Jack was never caught. Whoever knows my brother, knows what I am talking about. I don't think that polititians like Iturgaitz, Arzallus, Zapatero nor Otegi will know. I don't think they will care about being sincere. Each of them is preaching in their own churchyard.

Is it going to happen that in this country one will no have any right to not to support neither Real Sociedad nor Athletic of Bilbao? Or to not to be a Carlist or a liberal.? Or a red or a national?

For Godness sake, we are talking about respect to the ideas! I miss those who fill their mouthes with words like freedom and democracy while they are not ready to tolerate the existence of the outsiders. Or to those who ask for freedom and rights for people depending who they vote for. I have been 16 years of my life not voting for anybody.... and I fill less like to do it. What have we done to get to this tense situation as now? Why do we have polititians that seem dissabled (with apologies to the collective of those who are really dissabled), so unable to reach an agreement? Why are we all condemned to confront each other?
Last saturday in Bilbao, 4 arrested: Two pacifists who were naked, one drunkard and a councilor of EA (moderate nationalist party)... what a great hunt for the Ertzaintza (Police of the Basque Autonomous Police) ............and from the Justice (which depends from Madrid), they don't care a shit, the case is that we have four people arrested let's find a good excuse.
We have tried to see him but it has not been possible, we could speak to him 3 minutes on the phone, and he has let us reach a letter which I will copy and upon which I will make no comentary, there is no need to: the letter speaks for itself about the lack of democracy that we suffer and that can lead us to a worse bankrupcy that the one of Felipe II.

I will remove names and references to his job, since in these times even my cat can be suspicious.

In his name, I only ask to those who know personally to Oier, that his voice has to reach (together with the one of Pablo, a friend from Zaragoza who is in the same situation), as far and as strong as you can and as you know. Give that message of protest and pacific dissobedience, and that you shall become intolerant with those things to which one has to be intolerant: injustice, arbitrariety and violence.

Until Oier is back in front of this keyboard and he gets apologies for the SHIT they are throwing to him, we will be here using his two weapons: THE WORD AND THE REASON. Some don't even know what we are talking about.

Nothing else, I copy his letter:

"Basauri, 16th of september 2002: Dear mum, all the family: read this letter in front of all the family (enven the children)

Last saturday I went to demonstrate peacefuly, as did thousands of people. Precisely, I was with a group of basques from the diaspora (Uruguay, Argentina, Galicia, France, Zaragoza....) which intention was to put a kind of flag with the sentence "Euskal diaspora zuekin" ("The basque Diaspora is with you"). For this reason we went to the front of the demo, to ask for permission to the organizers (as in principle they asked to not to bring any flag or anything and to go in silence"). Once there in the front, we saw the situation: a double wall of the ertzaintza strongly armed, and vans with water cannons. It was clear they had absolutely no intention to let the demo go through, as you will know it was a legal demo according to basque Justice department.
We were nearly 20. There was absolutely on incidents from those demonstrating. The patience was going up, people wanted to go forward (I don't know how many of them there were, but Autonomia Street was completely full up to what I could reach with my sight). The police started throwing balls, I guess in order to dissolve the demonstration. Thinking of the terror situation that would have meant having a 100 of policemen charging against 80 000 people with the consecuent fear of being trapped by the people that would start running I decided to get naked and put myself in front of the police and the demonstrators.
They accuse us for public dissorder, but our intention was to avoid it.

One girl using cans in order to walk, got just in front of the policemen, that were pushing her. Then Pablo (a basque from the diaspora that lives in Zaragoza) got also naked and came with us. So other joined us to create a citizen line, this way we prevented the police from acting against the people. Pablo tells me that we were grabbing our hands, which I think it makes it more difficult that I could have thrown stones as they accuse me. Why did I get naked? Because my intention was to make a pacifist protest, not using violence (as those thousands that were demonstrating) and I wanted to make sure I showed I had no weapons nor any agressive intention.

Anyway, they accuse me of having thrown objects, shouted in support for ETA, etc..It is funny since I think that getting naked is not the most useful way to start a street guerrilla movement. Those who know me, know that I am opposed to ETA's armed fight. Nonetheless they call me a terrorist and we are accused of attempting a killing...

I demand to my accusators to present any recording or photography of mine or of Pablo throwing one single stone, shouting or doing something different to a PASSIVE resistance.

During our silence and inmobility, yes we could hear from the policemen an unfinished collection of sentences like "we will break your balls", "faggots", sexual comments (showing their tongue), etc...
Finally, demonstrators carrying a big flag were getting closer to us, and we let them go through. When they reach the police line, those starting to hit people and throw rubber balls, and it was chaotic. Pablo and me stood up, with the hands up and the head looking down, we got beaten as an answer. Policemen didn't know how to grab us. Rubber balls were wisteling around us, I embraced Pablo. We fell down, grabbing each other. They separated us, they put hand cuffs and took Pablo with them. I decided to stay. The police were beating us with their sticks, but soon they started kicking with their feet. Hand cuffed and naked they took me through the floor, then I had a bone broken (thanks to the clever boot of an agent). I didn't want to walk, and they dropped me on the floor. I lied as if I was dead so they would not beat me up. Finally, I think that they were embarrassed I could be seen by TV, they forced me to stand up and to walk up to the police station.

This is what happened, and I want you all to know it and if you want it spread it around. From now on, it is possible that all kind of lies and rubbish will be said about you. I am sorry from making you all go through this situation, but one of the very good things I have learned from "ama" (mum) and "aitxa" (dad) is to say the truth and to be honest. This is good for certain things but not for others, as they force you to be coherent in your life. And you see what can happen when you are coherent. ****** is the telephone to Pablo's parents if you want to talk to them or interchange any information you might have.
After that "afternoon", the treatment in the police station of Zabalburu, first and then the police station in Txurdinaga and the Court in Buenos Aires Street was good. Now in prison I am well treated, so don't worry for this.

The only complaint I have is the negligence of the doctor from Deusto. It seems that when one is handcuffed and surrounded by two policemen with their sticks and guns and their face covered, one is no more a mere patient and becomes just rubbish. The exploration he made was a joke. My skin is burned, and nobody has done anything to cure it after 36 hours (I washed it with water and soap the way I could in the cell). Then on sunday, I asked a new examination, by a forensic doctor of the court: this one did his job, he even took photos of me. I would like you to investigate in the court (Buenos Aires street) so you can get a copy of my report in order to:

1. You, see how I am
2. Me, when I get out, go to Osakidetza's "Attention to patients" to place a complaint.

Before entering in the prison, they allowed me to talk to XXXXX (the one from Astixa) and YYYYYY (who saw everything that happened) and told them what to do.

1, Spread my version.
2. Calm my family down, that is you all, and specially "ama" (mum). The world is not over and I will be soon outside.
3. I need a person to become a relay between me and my consultations.

I explain this below

1.- Spread my version.

I do not wish to ask anybody to do any propaganda. Simply when you find a calomny, answer now that you know the truth.

Oswaldo: please enter my email every two days at least, and empty my messages so the inbox does not get full. Take all addresses from my address book and send them a small note explaining what is happening (there is nothing to hide), and those who would write to me you can use that note as a reply. At least in spanish and in english.

2.- Calm the family

What happens to me is not terrible; there is people in much worse situations, not just passing some time in the "shadow". In this moment my worry is not me but what is happening outside. Think that from saturday 20:00h I am isolated from the world. I could not remember mum's mobile number and at **** there was nobody. I gave Emma's number. I need to know how you are. But I have no wat to tell you were I will go in the next hours. You will have permanent contact with the lawyer (Jone). We don't know who has contacted them. But, for the moment, it is her who is running the case, so you need to talk to her.

3.- At work

The situation is not difficult, but it has to be dealt with. There are some important things:

- I need somebody with legal permission to move some money under my name.

(the following were some issues about job that have been removed)

I think it is OK that the case is taken by the lawyer of the family, but please tell him to speak to Goirizelaia, she knows a lot about my case.

Until here is the document, as my brother asked me to write.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and for your small support so that Oier can get back to this keyboard, as it should always be, in the name of my family and mine.
Oswaldo Gorosábel Larrañaga

Note By translator. Oswaldo uses the name "jilguero" which is a kind of bird people has in a small cage at home. As I don't know the translation for that kind of bird, and putting "my bird" could lead to some confusion I have prefer to write cat.

by JON Tue Sep 17, 2002 20:28

EUSKALHERRIA NO SE RINDE
HERRIA EZ DU BARKATUKO!!!
ZIPAYO ENTZUN PIN PAN PUM !!!
P.N.V.ESPAÑOL.
P.N.V.TRAIDOR

by sumendi Wed Sep 18, 2002 09:05

If you want to see more pictures of the demonstration:
http://www.gara.net/dosierrak/bilbo_arg/arg_bil1.htm