Batasuna calls march despite official cancellation

9 August 2006

SAN SEBASTIAN – Batasuna has called on supporters to go ahead with a demonstration in San Sebastian despite the fact that it has been officially cancelled.

On Monday, it looked as if the political wing of terrorist group ETA had won the green light for the march this Sunday. The Basque country’s regional government approved it, stating the individual who had informed them of it was legally entitled to use his right to demonstrate.

However, the following day Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the appearance in court on Thursday of Batasuna leader Pernando Barrena and other Batasuna members, as well as of the individual, known as Jose Luis Sayes, who asked for permission for the march.

Judge Garzon said he would ask the witnesses to state whether the demonstration had anything to do with Batasuna, which has been classified as an illegal party by the Spanish courts.

Garzon planned to ask “whether the illegal formation promotes, encourages, organises, supports or has any relation” with the march.

Following the court orders, Sayes withdrew his petition at a police station.

Barrena called a press conference in San Sebastian in which he criticised the position of the Spanish judiciary, claiming it was an attack on the current peace process. He called on Basque country citizens to mobilise on Sunday to protest what he called Garzon’s bid to “put obstacles in the way of the political process”.

At the conference where journalists’ questions were not allowed, he also criticised the government for abusing the Law of Parties. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s socialist government has repeatedly insisted Batasuna start the process of becoming a legal party to facilitate the peace process.

Following Sayes’ petition last Friday, on Saturday Barrena had announced this Sunday’s march, stating it would be under the slogan: Euskal Herria [the Basque Country]. Self-determination.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news