The International Commission of Batasuna recently announced its participation in the Anti-imperialist Camp scheduled to take place in Assisi, Italy, from August 3 to 10:
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
10.00 Plenary Session
The black list
From the Basque country to Palestine: the struggle for elementary democratic rights against the EU measures
(further participants: KADEK (Kurdistan), DHKPC (Turkey), ODEP (Chile), Colombians, Palestinians ……
16.00 Workshop
The judge Garzon: International jurisdiction as an instrument of imperialist intervention
Batasuna is the main organisation of the Basque National Liberation Movement and as such representing about 15% of the Basque electorate. Its influence among the poor classes, the marginalized youth, the worker´s and the peasants is by far exceeding these figures. It repeatedly proved its capacity to mobilise hundred of thousands of Basques. The concept of national liberation from the Spanish and French imperialist states put forward by Batasuna is an anti-capitalist and socialist one. However, Batasuna´s main immediate demand is purely democratic, namely for a referendum on self-determination.
Furthermore Batasuna is one of the most important components of the anti-imperialist movement in Europe with deep popular roots. It opposed the imperialist attacks on Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and is continuously lending its support to the Palestinian people.
It is well known that the post-Francist state was imposed on the Basque people who refused its constitution by majority. Ever since Spain has tried to criminalize not only the armed organisations but all those supporting the right to self-determination even if demanded by peaceful means. Youth and solidarity organisation were repeatedly banned, news papers closed down, the leadership of the party imprisoned – all blatant violations of the basic democratic rights.
However, in the course of the terror hysteria after September 11 and the American crusade against all potential opponents of their holy world order, the crypto-Francist Aznar government in conjunction with the Clintonian judge Garzon hope to deliver a decisive blow against the Basque National Liberation Movement. It has included all the major progressive Basque organisations on the European Union´s notorious black list. Simultaneously it has legislated new laws de facto providing for the proscription of any political move in support of Basque self-determination. Thus, nearly a quarter of the Basque population will be deprived of their basic rights to free expression and coalition. These are the “democratic values” the American empire is speaking of!
The fact that the strongest Basque bourgeois party, the PNV, and even the senior Basque clergy expressed their concern and opposition to the newly imposed laws is evidence that the majority of the Basque people strongly oppose the dictatorial move of the Spanish regime.
Down with the US terror war!
Defend the basic democratic right of free expression and coalition!
For the right to self-determination of the Basque people!
