Basque Solidarity picket line

by Geri Timmons Wed Mar 08, 2006 16:02 neon007 at aol dot com

Many in the states stand in solidarity with you on March 11, we may not be there is body but we walk with you in spirit. May your day bring 1000s into the streets protesting the injustices shown the Basque people. Bring all our political prisoners home!

by iosaf Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:34 barcelona

yesterday ETA detonated 4 bombs on the motorways of the Basque region, as a reminder that they have not gone away, that they have not moved closer to a cessation of armed action, that they are not respectful of the consistent majority wish as expressed at elections & in opinion polls by the Basque people that they negotiate the final end of their paramilitary / terrorist campaign against the peoples of the Basque and Spain. The majority of the Spanish people voted for political parties on March 14th 2004 who wish a negotiated settlement. The majority of the Spanish people in opinion polls want an end to the violence, and link a ceasefire to prisoner issues. It is a quid pro quo

The Basque constitutional parties have joined forces in dismissing the calls to general strike in the region as divisive and a prelude to further street violence, damage to homes, shops, livelihoods and economic productive capacity of the Basque people. The Basque communist party which stood in the regional elections http://indymedia.ie/article/69431 http://indymedia.ie/article/69442 as proxy for the illegalised grouping Batasuna have supported the calls for a general strike. It is thought in certain circles that the strike will raise the spirits of the ETA prisoners especially the youngest whose hopes of release have dimmed against the backdrop of a slowly increasing campaign by the weakened terrorist organisation. Such actions may stave off more desperate suicides.
Meanwhile the spanish national press carry yet more stories of extortion on behalf of the terrorist groups of local business interests. I have in the last week at the comments linked below, outlined an interview published in english on a pro-independence site with 2 sociologists who have worked on the Peace process, one of whom is one of many thousands of people whose political stance has earned him death threats from the terrorists.

In the last 20 years, decommissioning of arms and peace processes globally (from Ireland to Angola) have seen an estimated 1,129,000 people return to normal civilian life, and work within their societies to improve the lot of the poorest. The one conflict which has seen no movement to peace on behalf of paramilitaries is the Basque.
of the 1,129,000 people who have "stood down"
42% were demobilised state armed or security forces.
37% were armed militias opposed to their local state.
14% were guerillas.
6% were paramilitaries.
of the 6% the most important demobilisation and decomissioning processes occured in Colombia and Ireland.
In Mexico there are now only 2 armed groups outside of the criminal narco traffic groups and the state federal army. Of most interest to the indymedia community (as demonstrated by the current feature on Basque imc http://euskalherria.indymedia.org/ the EZLN (army of the Zapatistas) is no longer considered a paramilitary organisation by either the state or independent global monitoring entities, and thus its decommissioning is not nor will be ever an impediment to the progress of peace or justice with dignity.

Ending war is not easier at first. But Peace is easier in the long run. Both require Courage.
Both require Tenacity. I know that the Irish / Basque solidarity groups are well established and prefer to go unchallenged, and sing only one song. But they ought know that the majority of Irish people, were glad to see Peace begin to come, and know in their hearts that they were terrorised enough .
http://indymedia.ie/article/74663#comment141286
http://indymedia.ie/article/74663#comment141438
I am consistent. as too is Jotake. I support peace process. Jotake supports the war.
History has proven and will prove again, which one of us is the wiser.
I hope that all sides of Irish opinion who use Indymedia Ireland will continue to express their true opinion on these developments, on all sides. Do not be intimidated into silence on either side.
Do not resort to dismissing the others opinions without considering that someday- Peace must come.
& peace means sitting at the table and talking.
Paz = Bake.