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Streets of Bilbao too small 17.1.2013 | basquepeaceprocess.info
More than one hundred thousand people filled the streets of Bilbao this past Saturday to demand
“Human Rights, Solution, Peace. Basque prisoners to the Basque Country”.
Thousands and thousands of anonymous people coming from all parts of the Basque Country, but also from different parts of the state and different parts of the world demanded in Bilbao the end of the penitentiary policy that the Spanish and French states apply to Basque political prisoners.
Up to 115,000 according to information given by different media outlets, came together in the streets of Bilbao in what has been one of the largest demonstrations to ever take place in the Basque Country. Together with the anonymous demonstrators numerous political representatives were present on the streets of Bilbao. Many of them made declarations in which they demanded the end of the current penitentiary policy and the end of the violation of rights of Basque political prisoners.
At the event there were also members of Catalan political formations, citizens from other communities in the Spanish state, political representatives from the French state and a delegation of the Kurdish people, who were the object of important expressions of solidarity after the assassination in Paris of three Kurdish militants. Throughout the march one could observe flags from different points from around the world, which demonstrates that solidarity came from many different places.
Before the demonstration began, the entire itinerary of the march was already filled up. It was for that that the head of the march had to go opening the way among the human sea. At the head of the march were the vans of the volunteers who every weekend bring the families on their long trips to the prisons.
Following that in five rows there were the main protagonists of the demonstration the family members of the prisoners, refugees and deportees, who this weekend did not make any visits in order to be present at the big event in Bilbao. Hundreds of family members, who carried banners demanding the repatriation of their loved ones, each one with their own particular story, experience and who in the saw in the streets of Bilbao a great dose of solidarity and affection. The family members were animated and hopeful to see all of the people who had come to the streets of Bilbao. They were convinced that this great human sea and the firm will of Basque society will be able to bring home their loved ones. They confirmed the necessity to transfer the support received this past Saturday and to work day by day and town by town in a constant dynamic that can be able to break the immobility of the states’ and bring all of those who weren’t there back home.
The final message of the demonstration was read by the organizers, the Herrira movement. It began with recognition of the family members of the prisoners, refugees and deportees who headed the demonstration. They also wanted to thank all of the anonymous citizens who came to the great demonstration of solidarity and defence of human rights.
As they manifested, among all of us we are constructing a new political time for the Basque Country. We have a historical opportunity to achieve a peace on solid bases: of justice; of recognition and reparation of the victims, of all of the victims of the conflict; and of respect for all individual and collective rights, for everyone and at every moment.
Finally they encouraged everyone present to continue with the struggle of the prisoners and refugees. The struggle continues in the towns, neighbourhoods, businesses, universities, in all the areas where you have to continue making the path, bringing the prisoners closer to home, among all of us we will achieve it! Among all of us we will bring them home! The demonstration had a great impact in the press, Basque as well as at the international level. An example of this was the great number of journalists present on the streets of Bilbao and the echo that the news had in different international media such as the newspaper from the United States The Washington Post, the main press agency the Associated Press, the webpage of Fox News or the Mexican newspaper La Jornada. This great demonstration restored the prison situation to the front page, and made it more necessary than ever to unblock the current situation. It is incomprehensible that in the new scenario begun just more than a year ago with the Declaration of Aiete and the definitive ceasefire by ETA that the situation of Basque political prisoners hasn’t varied, that they maintain the policy of dispersion and that the governments’ haven’t taken steps to improve their living conditions. In this sense, members of the EH Bildu coalition appeared this Sunday before the media to assess the demonstration and to present specific initiatives related to the rights of the prisoners and the resolution process. In the first place they congratulated the tens of thousands of people who filled the streets of Bilbao. They evaluated the citizens’ mobilization in favour of the resolution, of peace, and above all, in favour of human rights as colossal. Dispersion has to be ended once and for all, there has to be an end to the penitentiary policy of exception and to respect the rights of Basque prisoners. They made a call to take advantage of this opportunity to achieve a resolution to the conflict and to build peace. This country needs to achieve a minimum consensus about rights, individual as well as collective, for everyone. Continuing they gave an account of the specific initiative that they will be developing in the coming months: they are going to try to bring and diffuse to the four winds the Declaration of Aiete, and commit to develop its’ contents. In this direction it is fundamental for EH Bildu to maintain the popular clamour in the streets; and it is urgent to end for once and for all the penitentiary policy of exception that is applied to the prisoners of the Basque Country.
- That the policy of dispersion is ended for once and for all and that all prisoners are transferred to the Basque Country.
- That all prisoners with serious illnesses be released.
- That they revoke all measures that suppose a de facto life sentence: the Doctrine 197/2006 of the Supreme Court in the Spanish state and life imprisonment in the case of the French state.
- That they guarantee access to parole for the prisoners who have completed 2/3’s or ¾’s of their sentences.
- That the penitentiary policy is changed from the bottom and is adapted to the peace process and solutions based on criteria of transnational justice and the respect for the rights of prisoners and refugees.
Photo (Herrira):
more than a hundred thousand filled the streets of Bilbo
First published:
basquepeaceprocess.info, 17.1.2013
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