Jim H.
Over
the last two years the Basque nationalist (independence) revolutionary struggle
has made significant gains. The Basque territories are in northern Spain and southern
France. It is in Spain where the struggles are most advanced and where this
article is concerned with.
Over
this time there has been a huge rise in the organised movement and the level of
mass support for it. Many thousands of new activists have stood up and the
young are the core. Coalitions under the names of Bildu and Amaiur have won
enough votes in local regional and national elections to make themselves into major
players. However these are not primarily parliamentary movements. Parliament is
utilised to lift the legal struggle on the ground. There is a new political
party called Sortu pledged to winning independence and socialism.
Attack
has purpose
The
reaction of the ruling class and its state has been vicious. Under the cover of
anti-terrorism laws, it has systematically gone about apprehending people and
often subjecting them to torture. Under the law detainees are held for a period
without charge, let go and picked up again. No contact with lawyers, family or
anyone else is permitted. The state will not admit that someone has been picked
up. A number of victims have just disappeared. There have been a few
assassinations.
This
is what happens when the ruling class is sufficiently alarmed by the strength
of the opposition to it. There is an important lesson to this that extends well
beyond the plight of the Basques.
Three
major court cases that have either just started or are about to start in the
Spanish National Court. The first began on 14 October and the second on 17
October, where 150 people are on serious charges that involve significant jail
sentences. They are members of the youth wing of the organisation giving
support to and promoting the interests of political prisoners. They are accused
of providing support for terrorism. The third case is that of the 80 people arrested
for administering the 110 social centres that have been closed down by force.
Each
trial is expected to last about 6 months.
Mounting
support for victims
The
results so far has been a groundswell of support for the victims and isolation
of the state. According to reports of the concerned organisations, offers of
active support have been flooding in, even from quite a few who have till now
been political opponents. There is widespread disgust over the trials.
While
the reaction of the state is obviously influenced by their political fear,
there is also a very clear strategy. They want to weaken the organised movement
and set the scene to make it illegal. In this way they hope to strike a blow
against the fighting spirit of the people. There is also an element of
provocation, to attempt to drive some people into acts that can be used as a
cover for even more vicious attacks.
The
Basque struggle is a major political factor for the whole of Spain. It sets an
example for all the peoples. Rebellion in the Basque land threatens rebellion
in the other provinces. And is even more telling in conditions of deepening
economic and political crisis overall. The fact that major government
personalities are caught up in a major corruption scandals (money from
developers) also contributes.
Response
to attacks
In
the face of the developing situation, the “left nationalist” organisations call
on the people to respond by taking to the streets. Sortu has called “… on all
Basques with democratic convictions to show their repulsion to political
decisions disguised as legal decisions that don’t just attack the Abertzale
[nationalist] Left, but try to condition the future of the Basque Country.” The
aim is to not allow the attacks to get in the way of what has to be done to
build a new society based on independence, socialism and a cooperative and
equal relationship with all the peoples of Spain.
International
support is also important. While Europe is at the centre, support is also
required from other places, to help isolate the reactionary state, support the
victims and to aid the people to decide and build their own future.
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