Archive for the Category 'Basque Country'
Speech at the demonstration “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan” on December 5, 2009 in Berlin
We are here to demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and for all Kurdish people. Political prisoners and torture exist not only in Turkey – minorities are also oppressed within the European Union, in this speech, we want to draw attention to the situation in the Basque Country. »»»»
read comments (0)
On October 4, there will be a mass demonstration in Bilbo (Bilbao) against the wave of repression which is hitting the left-wing independence movement in the Basque Country. In the last weeks, the Spanish state has banned two Basque political parties: the EHAK (Euskal Herrialdeetako Alderdi Komunista, Communist Party of the Basque Territories) and the EAE (Eusko Abertzale Ekintza, Basque Patriotic Action). »»»»
The youth movement in the Basque Country is an inspiration for young people across Europe. The brutal repression by the Spanish and French states has not been able to stop the mass struggles: young people fight against the lack of decent jobs, temp agencies that exploit young people, the lack of affordable housing… They occupy buildings to create cultural centers… They fight for their political rights and against national oppression…
These are problems that young people all over Europe face: tuition fees and the privatization of education, unemployment, poverty, and youth oppression. Repression is also increasing across Europe, for example the Communist Union of Youth (KSM) from the Czech Republic was banned simply for calling for the abolition of private property! »»»»
Solidarity with the left-wing organizations that are under attack!
In the past weeks there has been a massive wave of repression in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country). On October 5, 23 members of the prohibited left-wing party Batasuna were arrested on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization”. On the same day, the office of the legal party EHAK (Communist Party of the Basque Territories) in Donostia/San Sebastián was occupied by the police. »»»»
Protest against the persecution of the left-wing youth organization SEGI in the Basque Country
“Terrorism” is hard to define. Wikipedia tells us that it generally refers to violence for political aims. But when the US army bombs a Bagdad neighborhood, that is declared to be “the fight against terror”. When young people in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) fight for democratic and social rights with mass demonstrations and public campaigns, they can be imprisoned for this “terrorist activity”. »»»»
Forty-two Basque youth will be on trial in Madrid sometime in February or March. They are activists of the prohibited youth organization SEGI, or of the previously prohibited youth organizations JARRAI and HAIKA, and accused of being terrorists. They are faced with a total of 654 years in prison. »»»»