40,000 march for political legalisation in Basque Country

40,000 people took part in a large silent demonstration in the streets of Bilbao last Saturday with the slogan “Towards peace – legalisation”. That silence became a clamour to demand the legalisation of all political options in the Basque Country.

The promoters of the demonstration were all well-known faces in Basque society: people from politics, business, sport, trade union movement, university…  People from varied ideologies came together to demand the legalisation of all political options and the right of citizens to elect freely.

The demonstration was led by a group holding the banner with the slogan. Immediately behind them were the representatives of the new party, Sortu. After them there was a human flood, a true reflection of Basque society. There were thousands upon thousands of citizens (40,000 according to some media reports) from different social and political backgrounds who went to Bilbao from across the Basque Country to demand the legalisation of all political options.

There was great media interest, even in Spain and worldwide. Dozens of TV cameras and photographers were present at the start of the demonstration.

The speakers highlighted the hope that “begins to enter in Basque society anew”. Hope for ETA’s ceasefire “to be definitive, hope for the end of any violent activity and any anti-democratic imposition and hope for the respect for human, civil, political, individual and collective rights”. They went on to say that they have “hope for the implementation of a complete democracy that we have never known before in the Basque Country”.

From the Weekly News Bulletin of the Abertzale Left [email protected]