Naturally the Spanish PM has spoke of ETA’s declaration as a victory over terror and a rebuke to radical Basque nationalists. In reality, the use of shootings and bombings by a group the size of ETA is unable to bring independence to the Basque country, and skews the coverage of the conflict as one between the Spanish state and a small armed organisation. This totally ignores the strength of the Basque radical pro-independence movement, and acts in the interests of the Spanish state by making the dispute about a conflict against terrorism that the Basques cannot win by military means.
The position of the Basque independence left is one the untold success stories of the Socialist movement in Europe. In almost every town and city, the left pro-independence movement -- known as the Abertzale or patriotic left -- controls youth centres, pubs and social clubs. These community facilities are considered such a threat to the Spanish state that one of them was recently demolished, despite public opposition. The Basque Left can also wield a significant section of the popular vote in the Basque country -- almost certainly larger than anywhere else for the Socialist Left in Europe.
In the recent municipal elections in the Spanish State, the Basque Left party Bildu stood and took a whopping 25% of the vote -- the largest ever vote recieved by the pro-independence left, who historically took between 10% and 20%. This makes Bildu the opposition party in the Basque country, to the pro-independence moderate party the PNV which took 30% of the vote. This combined vote shows there is a solid majority in favour of independence for the Basque country.
The vote for the pro-independence left was even more impressive giving the Spanish State had tried to ban Bildu from standing -- claiming that it was a front for ETA and Batasuna, a radical Basque party the Spanish state previously banned that took between 15 -- 20%. This ban was ridiculous considering that Bildu declared it did not support ETA attacks to bring about independence, and that ETA itself had declared it’s intention to end it’s campaign.
Despite ETA’s repeated attempts to engage with the Spanish State in a peace process, both the right-wing Popular Party and the New Labouresque Spanish Socialist Workers Party refused to enter into any meaningful negotiation to end the conflict. Unreported from the majority of the world’s media is the ongoing political repression in the Basque country -- in which political parties like Batasuna were banned, Basque newspapers were shut down, prisoners are tortured, youth organisations are prohibited and radical Basque politicians jailed for insulting the monarchy. This repression hasn’t all come from the right wing of Spanish politics either -- it was the “Socialist” Workers Party who set up death squads to assassinate and torture ETA members and Basque radical politicans, with the authorization and support of Government ministers.
Banned Basque pro-Independence Left group SEGI
The Spanish State refuses to enter a peace process because it knows what the result inevitably will be -- almost every single election since the overthrow of Franco in Spain has produced a majority nationalist administration in the Basque autonomous region. Spain has refused any discussion on Independence for the Basque country -- with the Spanish Parliament vetoing even unofficial referendums on the Basque country’s future, fearing the inevitable yes vote for Independence.
The modern Spanish state never really decisively broke with it’s fascist past -- there were no trials or truth and reconciliation commissions for those who tortured and murdered leftists, trade unionists and Basque and Catalan nationalists under Franco. Instead an agreement was struck between the conservative and centre-left parties not to pursue justice for these people, and to enshrine in the Spanish constitution the illegality of any form of independence for nations that are currently part of the Spanish State. The so-called democratic post-Franco constitution made it illegal for the Basque country to become independent without the sanction of the central Spanish Government. It was for this reason that the majority of Basque voters abstained and voted against accepting this new constitution -- and why despite the overthrow of Franco, ETA continued an armed campaign.
Basque political prisoners are dispersed - this poster demands their return.
Now it’s become clear the Basque independence movement has stronger weapons in it’s arsenal than bombs or bullets, weapons the Spanish State cannot easily quash. With the support of a third of the population, and dozens of community facilities across the Basque country the pro-Independence left is ready to wage a war of the people against the Spanish State.
SSY was proud to host a group of Basque Abertzale youth at our camp last year. One of the motivations they had in coming to Scotland was to observe the possible referendum on Independence here. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to vote for Independence in 2010 because the Unionist parties blocked it. However as you’ve probably noticed, the recent SNP landslide means there will be a definite referendum in the next 4 years. This isn’t just important for Scotland -- it’s a message to the Spanish State and the Basque people as well. If Scots are allowed to vote in a free vote on our future, without being blocked by the Spanish Government, tortured, shot by death squads, having our political parties banned, our newspapers closed down, community centres demolished -- why shouldn’t the Basque Country have that choice as well?
FREEDOM FOR THE BASQUE COUNTRY -- GORA EUSKAL HERRIA!
5000 Basques march in Bilbao against "Hispanity day" in Solidarity with massacred American indians.
Paul O’Grady recently used his primetime slot on Channel 4 to call the coalition government ‘bastards’ and speak out against the ideologically motivated Tory/Lib Dem cuts. Good on him for pointing out how disgusting it is that the Tories and Lib Dems sat in Westminster jeering every time another devastating cut was announced by George Gideon Osbourne and for advocating a French style response!
Three million people took to the streets in towns and cities across France today, in a mass display of opposition to the French government’s austerity plans, which include raising the retirement age by two years.
Today’s demonstrations follow a week of unrest, which has seen a general strike on Tuesday and continuous strikes across different key sectors which are ongoing. Workers at every major fuel refinery in France have walked out, with blockades erected at their gates – it’s been so effective that the country’s main airports may run out of fuel by next week. School students have been out in force, with tens of thousands coming out to join the street demonstrations, and barricading shut the entrances to their schools. Even in small towns, thousands have been coming out onto the streets, such is the level of anger at the government’s proposals, which are being spearheaded by President Nicolas Sarkozy, who came into office promising to be a French version of Thatcher.
Protests are being stepped up ahead of a parliamentary vote on the proposals this coming Wednesday. Another general strike has been called for Tuesday, while lorry drivers are expected to come out on Monday.
There’s now speculation that the unrest could transform into the kind of action which halted the government’s last go at pension reform – in 1995. Then, three weeks of non-stop action by public sector and transport workers forced the government to capitulate on their proposals, which similarly included a raising of the retirement age.
Across Europe, government’s are making a concerted attempt to force the working class to pay for their massive bail-outs of the rich, with ideologically driven austerity programmes that seek to destroy what remains of the welfare state.
In Scotland, we’ve still to see anything near the level of militancy shown in France over the past week. But as the impact of the cuts begins to be felt, it’s vital that we too have a mass movement of resistance – in the streets, in workplaces and in our schools and universities.
On Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne will line up the details of the Coalition’s austerity plans, with billions of pounds worth of cuts in public spending across the board. In Scotland, we have our chance to show our opposition to them on Saturday, with the STUC demonstration in Edinburgh. Although it’s unlikely we’ll see the kind of protest that’s hit France, Saturday is an important step in building the resistance in Scotland. See you on the streets!
Yesterday there were general strikes in Greece and the Basque Country. Last week workers in France and Italy walked out as well. Across Europe the working class is waking up to the threat posed by the attacks of European governments, but in the UK the response has still been quite muted.
SSY has been involved in building opposition to the ConDem cuts over recent weeks, with our members taking part in last Saturday’s street rally against the “emergency” budget for instance. But it’s clear that if we really want to stop the neoliberal assault on our rights, we need to learn a thing or two from our friends in Europe.
These signs were put up in the Italian town of Varallo after another right wing mayor also banned veils
A woman in Italy has become the first to be fined for covering her face. Known only as Amel, she was fined £430 under laws that ban covering your face in public places, after she was spotted by police in the Post Office.
The laws were originally brought in during the 70s to prevent political activists from hiding their faces. However, the mayor of the town of Novara, where Amel lives, now is using the law as a pretext to attack Muslim women.
Mayor Massimo Giordano is a member of the Northern League party, which takes a far right position on immigrants. Leader Umberto Bossi once called for boats containing immigrants from Africa (who he called “bingo bongos”) to be shelled, while another mayor from the party said “we should dress them up like hares and bang-bang-bang”. Party members have also been convicted of incitement to racial hatred for their part in trying to expel an encampment of Roma people.
Giordano has made sure the Italian laws, which have never been fully enforced before, are now being used against Muslim women. He’s said he wants Italian law to be amended so that it specifically outlaws wearing Muslim veils. He said:
“I signed the new regulations for reasons of security but also so that people who came to live in our city are aware and respect our traditions. The people of Novara do not want to see people walking around in the city wearing a burka. This is the only way to stop behaviour that makes the already difficult process of integration even harder.”
Meanwhile, Giordano’s ambitions have almost already been fulfilled in Belgium, where the lower house just voted through a plan for a complete ban on veils and headscarves. This is despite the fact that parties representing Belgium’s different regions have been at each other’s throats, leading to the recent collapse of the government. However, MPs put their differences aside to give near unanimous cross-party support to racist measure. Hopefully however, the political crisis will mean it is months before the Senate can meet to give the law approval.
Several Belgian towns already have similar local laws. Another knobhead Mayor, Jan Creemers, of the Belgian town of Maaseik, said: “It became a problem in our town because we had about 50 women who walked around like that, which really annoyed many other residents. They kept coming to me to ask me to do something about it. I spoke to a couple of these ladies to ask them very simply not to wear this kind of clothing. But one in particular refused point-blank so eventually the police opened legal proceedings against her.”
And in France, President Nicolas Sarkozy, facing declining popularity, has decided pushing for a ban on veils is a good way of shoring up his right wing support, and is determined to try and push one through over the summer. The response of the opposition “Socialists” (the French equivalent of New Labour) has been to present their own bill, which would ban veils in public buildings such as hospitals or banks.
Belgian Mayor Jan Creemers stands up for "european values"
However, the most radical proposal has come from a German member of the European Parliament, who has called for Europe wide ban on veils. Silvana Koch-Mehrin, and MEP for the right wing Free Democrats (who are part of Angela Merkel’s coalition government) used an editorial in in Germany’s Bild newspaper (the German equivalent of The Sun) to make the extreme demand.
What all this shows is that after almost 10 years of the demonisation of Muslims, anti-Muslim racism has become mainstream for European governments. Many claim that the bans are aimed to protect women’s rights, but the comments by those who are enforcing these laws shows their real motivation: using the veil as a way to attack Muslim people. The fact is that racist politics across Europe finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that Muslims are Europeans too, and should be allowed to dress however they wish.
The idea that white politicians should be the ones to “save” Muslim women from oppression is itself racist. It also will make it more difficult for Muslim women who want to stand up for women’s rights within their own communities, if all Muslims feel they are subject to racist attack from outside. What women wear is not and should never be a matter for politicians to decide. It should be for women themselves to decide.
A group of French workers has threatened to blow up their own factory if they don’t get their full redundancy pay.
Workers at the Sodimatex car parts plant near Paris were told last year they were getting laid off, and have been in a row at the level of redundancy payments ever since. Stubborn bosses are offering them just half of the amount their demanding to compensate for losing their jobs.
On Thursday, workers blockaded the road in, and then barricaded themselves inside the factory when riot cops arrived.
And now workers have demanded the bosses take action, or they’ll blow the plant. One of those taking action told French radio (by phone):
“We have a 5,000 litre gas tank surrounded by wooden palettes, and I can guarantee you we’ll blow it up. The whole building and everything around it will be flattened.”
Yet again French workers have made us over here look timid. While Scottish unions aren’t even allowed to march in Glasgow city centre, these workers have obviously been taking their lessons from the action movie school of negotiations.
And here it’s likely that, under repressive anti-trade union and indeed anti-terrorist laws, such actions would have to be condemned by the official union.
But in France, union lawyer for the workers Caroline Substelny said:
“These workers fear that once they lose their jobs they will not be able to find another one. If the management does not take its responsibilities seriously, then workers will use all means at their disposal to get what they deserve.”
Shocking and radical as these moves might seem to some readers, the fact is you just have to look at Greece and elsewhere to see the violence bosses have got planned for us, the working class. They intend to make workers everywhere pay for their idiocy by drastically cutting living standards, and if we don’t like it there’ll be riot cops to stop us doing anything about it. In the face of this, these French workers are ready to take it all the way in the fight for what they deserve.
Yesterday there were general strikes in Greece and the Basque Country. Last week workers in France and Italy walked out as well. Across Europe the working class is waking up to the threat posed by the attacks of European governments, but in the UK the response has still been quite muted.
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