2007/X/16 REASONS AND REACTIONS OF THE RAID AGAINST BATASUNA .
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's informative service, Nº 193
As we announced in the previous bulletins, the Spanish government was preparing the revenge. They could not tolerate that the Basque left did reject the surrender offer the government made to them, and, besides, that this rejection was made before the international delegations acting as observers. Internally, the try made by the Spanish government to assimilate the Basque left costed PSOE countless reproaches made by the right; externally, was cristal clear that the Spanish government had not at all the wish to solve the conflict. So, the "Basque rebels" must pay the price of this failure. The establishment press prepared the field for this big raid: "Before march, all Batasuna leadership will be in prison". And this was what happened.
In the video, you can see the street battle happened on the October 12 (the 'spanish feeling' day). Some fascist people comming from Sapin tryed to reach Donostia, they could n't get down from the 6 buses.
In the links, another video with antifascist music, and some photos of the day.
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
On October 2, the Spanish police arrested a leader of Batasuna and another of Askatasuna (organization for the rights of the political prisoners ) accused of taking part in the 9 September demonstration held in Donosti, and being responsible of the incidents produced during the demonstration. The fact is that this leader of Batasuna did to no even attend the demonstration as he was in the other side of the city preparing a popular lunch. Their arrest was the prelude of the others coming. They were moved to the Nacional High Court (an extraordinary court inherited from Franco's period ).
On October 4, the police took the village where several leaders of the Basque left were holding the weekly meeting. All of them were arrested. The next day, their homes were meticulously searched during a vast police operation. All the computer or written material that would be able to contribute evidences for the charges the government want to accuse them was seized.
On October 6 we could see the photos of the operation: renowned left wing leader handcuffed and treated as criminals. The two people arrested on October 2 were sentenced to unconditional imprisonment. On October 7, six of the detainees are released (some of them on expensive bails). Judge Garzón -who belongs to the extraordinary court- sentenced the other 17 to unconditional imprisonment.
INTERPRETATION OF WHAT HAPPENED
· The extreme-right assess the situation in two different but complementary ways : Regarding the imprisoned, they deserve the punishment, and it is right in law. Regarding the government: they made a political use of the law, and judge Garzón is guilty of corrupt practices, because the imprisoned have always been guilty, but the government treated them on different ways depending of the political situation and the political interest: for the PSOE, the leaders of Batasuna were before "men and women of peace", and they had talks with them, and now they are criminals. In the extreme-right opinion, this treatment made ETA stronger, had discredited the State, broke the needed anti-terrorist aliance. And, the worse thing, the government is using the prosecution of Batasuna in a vote-catching way.
· Also the PSOE assess the situation in two different but complementary ways. Some people close to power assess the situation in a quite peculiar way: it was the pretentious judge Garzón who hastened the events keen to be center stage; for them, the government has no interest in provoking attacks with deaths in the eve of the elections. Leaving aside this fantastic interpretation of the facts, the other opinions are more according to what is usual: the detainees really deserved prison, and they knew what was waiting for them if they keep on provoking the State. Other people in the PSOE hide behind the respect to law, and consider that Garzón is a "competent judge, so the trial will be fair". Finally, other people highlight the strength of the State, while hinting at the vote-catching purpose.
· The assessment made by the nationalism close to the Basque government is also double. The more pro-PSEO ones avoid criticizing the facts : "It is a judicial measure, and we will have to wait". But other sector thinks that the measure is serious and unfair : "They can not illegalize Batasuna nor imprisoned all their leadership. They are necessary interlocutors if we want to solve the conflict". There have been many critics against the government and against the judiciary, but, up today, just words.
· The interpretation made by the left has also nuances. In general, they think that the measure is a revenge of the government: leaving the negotiation table, the government warned Batasuna that they will pay a very high price for it. The government did not accept the coherence of this interlocutors nor their demand to go until the very roots of the conflict. The proof of it: during the summer, the Department of Interior were preparing the observers about the upcoming events.
They consider the committal order scandalous as Garzón just wrote what the government were dictating. The imprisonment is one of the measures that Madrid would take in order to break the Basque left resistance. Madrid and PVN are in agreement on the strategy.
Although its vote-catching pursue, the operation has larger implications : PSOE government is restructuring the Self-governing Status frame, but without affecting substantially the State structure. Something that the government got in other self-governing regions, and they must try to get also in the Basque Country. They had to reach a consensus with the more sensible agents regarding self-determination, and this is what the government tried to do in the two negotiating tables speaking with Batasuna and with ETA. As the government could not joint this two organizations to their reformist project, now the government is trying to neutralize them. And now, the government are trying to reach a consensus with other more docile agents, PNV and Nafarroa Bai. If the Basque left keep their strength and coherence, the operation would be doomed to failure. Therefore, the aim is leave the Basque left leaderless so that they do not interfere in the upcoming psedo-reform
SOLIDARITY WITH THE IMPRISONED
Other Askapena's bulletins are informing about the many signs of solidarity towards the detainees. From this Step by step we would like to warmly thank them.
Inside the Basque Country there have been mobilizations, sabotages, and demands to the institutions to pass from words to facts. Batasuna publicly recognized that the operation hurt them; nevertheless they are committed intensify their political activity.
