Basques protest over party ban

Hundreds of people carrying Basque flags assembled peacefully in the historic Spanish town of Gernika to protest the proposed outlawing of a separatist party allegedly linked to terrorism.

The demonstrators carried a banner that read “Askatasunaren Alde,” or “Toward Liberty” as they assembled at the famous Gernika oak tree, where Spanish kings swore oath to Basque self-government privileges in the 16th century.

Police in a parked van watched the demonstration from a distance.

After 15 minutes of silence, the event concluded with some protesters chanting the Basque national anthem and nationalist slogans such as “Viva Euskadi Libre,” or “Long Live the Basque country!”

Speakers avoided making explicit references to the Batasuna party, which has been suspended by Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon for allegedly functioning as the political wing of the armed separatist group ETA.

The Supreme Court is currently considering a request by the government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to ban Batasuna altogether even though it routinely gets more than 10% of the vote in regional elections.

ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since 1968 in a violent campaign for independence, is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

Earlier this week, Garzon warned that the march’s sponsors would be held accountable for any violation of his prohibition of pro-Batasuna protests. Other protests have been cancelled as a result of his order.

Today’s protest was called by the Eusko Alkartasuna party, the junior member next to the Basque Nationalist Party in the northern region’s autonomous government.

Eusko Alkartasuna leader Begona Errazti called the national government’s moves against Batasuna “a reduction of the liberty and the rights of Basque democrats.”

“This is a coup d’etat,” said Jose Maria Laranga of the nationalist trade union ELA.

Gernika is also a historically significant to Basques because it was devastated by Nazi warplanes during the 1936-39 Spanish civil war - an event immortalised by artist Pablo Picasso.