Massive support for Basque youth people

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday March 02, 2005 18:41 by Belfast Basque Committee basquebelfast at hotmail dot com

The 18/98+ group appealed to those assembled “to go on spreading the message throughout society in support of all rights”

Citizens fill streets of Bilbo “in support of civil rights”

The 18/98+ group appealed to those assembled “to go on spreading the message throughout society in support of all rights”


The streets of Bilbo were bursting. In response to the call made by the 18/98+ group two thousand people had gathered at the Kursaal in Donostia (San Sebastian) the previous Saturday and had undertaken to spread the message in favour of civil and political rights. Yesterday thousands of people took on that commitment and went out into the streets of Bilbo under the slogan supporting civil and political rights. Members of the 18/98+ group appealed to the thousands who had joined the rally “to go on spreading the message in favour of all rights”.

A few minutes before the march was due to start it was clear that there was going to be a massive response in view of the crowds milling around Casilla. However, not everyone who was supposed to be there had arrived; the Spanish Civil Guard had in fact set up strict checkpoints on the road to Bilbo and the news soon spread among the marchers that at least 15 coaches had been stopped at one of those checkpoints in Zarautz (Gipuzkoa). Some of the people scheduled to lead the march were among those who had been stopped. However, the march had to get going and set off with a ten-minute delay, to a round of applause.

The march was led by members of the 18/98+ group carrying the poster made by the painter Jose Luis Zumeta. They were followed by a host of political, trade union, culture, sports and social representatives in the Basque Country. Among those who had turned out were Joseba Permach and Jone Goirizelaia of Batasuna, Unai Ziarreta, Martin Aranburu and Gorka Knörr of EA, Iñaki Zarraoa of the EAJ-PNV, Julen Madariaga and Txillardegi of Aralar, Mertxe Colina of the AB, Jose Elorrieta and German Kortabarria of ELA, Rafa Diez of LAB, Paul Nicholson of EHNE, the writers Kirmen Uribe, Juan Mari Irigoien and Iñigo Aranbarri, the singer Mikel Urdangarin, the journalist Maddalen Iriarte, a member of the Real Sociedad football team, Igor Jauregi.

They were followed by the indictees who are not being remanded in custody carrying photos of those who are in custody. They carried a banner with the words Eskubide zibil eta demokratikoen alde (For Civil and Democratic Rights). They were followed by many people wearing the red T-shirts that have become so familiar during the trial of the Haika-Segi Basque nationalist left youth organisations. Thousands of marchers brought up the rear behind a single banner with the demand for civil and political rights.

When the marchers got to Zabalburu square the last demonstrators were still around Casilla. A short pause was made in Zabalburu and Mariano Ferrer, the spokesman for the 18/98+ group, spoke. “Our message is a positive one, we are not against anything, but in favour of civil rights for everyone,” he said. “We have come out onto the streets, because we can see that the basic rights of certain people are at risk. We know some of these people and we know the charges are false, and in the case of the ones we don’t know, it is clear that the charges are not based on individualised proof. It is a general trial, and even though it may not be political, it certainly looks that way”.
BELFAST BASQUE COMMITTEE