Taken from naiz, a interview to two militants of Eleak (a basque organization that fights for basque country civil and political rights). The original interview is in basque so the translation can have errors.
Ten days ago, in Donosti (Gipuzkoa south basque country), hundreds of people supported the youth of Oarsaldea (Gipuzkoa south basque country). Which is your valoration?
BOLINAGA: The valuation has two aspects, one is good and the other one bad. The good, the work that we have done during that months, the popular work spread among people. But the demonstration has a bad aspect, because at the final Ertzaintza (basque regional police) arrested them. Our final objetive is that anyone more is arrested. To achieve that we are working in the way, to make more steps forward. We have received a lot of support, there have been a lot of work.
OLABARRIA: I was in Donosti, and it has been commented that there was improvisation in some moments. At the moment of the arrests, we were left with a bittersweet taste. Some things went well, other ones less, we have evaluated it the local groups. For us is very positive the new way that we are doing. The past year with some of the things that we learnt in Gasteiz (Araba south basque country) -with the arrest of Ekaitz Samaniego- we say that it was the beginning and the charged people know that the actions are not for them, are for those who come after, they know that are going to be imprisoned.
Was clear that Ertzaintza did not want to make the arrests?
T.B: It was clear that there was not going to be arrests. It was a bit forced. They (Ertzaintza) did not want that image.
Z.O: They are accustomed to arrest people at the night and without witness. In that aspect, our fight, or better said, one of our fights -because our main struggle is to prevent more arrests and achieve the freedom for the people that is jailed- is to achieve the arrests during the day and with the protection of people.
T.B: That's our philosophy. We know that we have to learn more and we think that in that struggle are large missing forces. Now, with all that is happening, taking into account the social and political situation, I think that we have to add forces at social level.
The arrests, despite of being uncomfortable, can they to denounce the situation today?
Z.O: Yes. In a time a way was created in north basque country with the militants of Segi and we use that way in the arrest of Ekaitz Samaniego in south basque country. That way was an step, and that step may be is running out in some situations. If that is so, we must make new steps. People thinks that the person who is going to receive the most damage -the people who is going to be arrested- can not have the greater engagement. We have to create new ways to confront with the situation.
T.B: I want to emphasize in the step that some have made. The engaigament of the youth of Errenteria: Lujanbio, Arkaitz and Maitane.
You say that new steps must be made. Whick kind of steps?
Z.O: We are reflecting and learning with our contradictions. We have seen that a debate has been created in the society, that is positive for us, previously there was not debate with the civil rights violation. It's a good signal. We will see in the future if its good or not to confront with the actual situation the expand of disobedience actions to the people that is around (no to that who is going to be arrested). That is, for example, one of the reflections that we must make..
T.B: As Zigor has said, now we are still learning. I think that the most beautiful thing that it has been created in the case of Ekaitz and the youth of Errenteria, is the popular work. We want to create a protection (matrioska is one of the symbols that Eleak uses) of different organizations, as in the case of D3M (an outlawed political party in south basque country).
Matrioska (the symbol) borned one year ago to protect Ekaitz Samaniego. Can we say that it is a new symbol?
Z.O: One year ago we say: That situations, that a lot of times go unnoticed, must be public, making these arrests more difficult. Now we see, after a year, that in a lot of places are asking the symbol of Matrioska for their work. For us that's good.
T.B: We know that matrioska can bee seen anywhere. People have understood the protection that we want to symbolize with matrioska.
Have that protection showed the attitude of police?
T.B: That is one of the objetives. We think that the arrests must not be in their homes, going unnoticed. Arrests must be in the streets, Ekaitz and the youth of Errenteria knew that they were going to be arrested. But we showed that in the streets, we can achieve the protection of people. We saw in Donosti, with that kind of actions, how the youth have achieved the protection of people, but we do not achieve to prevent the arrests, our main objetive.
Z.O: We know that is very hard to see an arrest. That's why we want to reverse the current situation, creating new ways and new engainaments. To confront the current situation we must create new forces.
T.B: It was clear that there was not going to be arrests. It was a bit forced. They (Ertzaintza) did not want that image.
Z.O: They are accustomed to arrest people at the night and without witness. In that aspect, our fight, or better said, one of our fights -because our main struggle is to prevent more arrests and achieve the freedom for the people that is jailed- is to achieve the arrests during the day and with the protection of people.
T.B: That's our philosophy. We know that we have to learn more and we think that in that struggle are large missing forces. Now, with all that is happening, taking into account the social and political situation, I think that we have to add forces at social level.
The arrests, despite of being uncomfortable, can they to denounce the situation today?
Z.O: Yes. In a time a way was created in north basque country with the militants of Segi and we use that way in the arrest of Ekaitz Samaniego in south basque country. That way was an step, and that step may be is running out in some situations. If that is so, we must make new steps. People thinks that the person who is going to receive the most damage -the people who is going to be arrested- can not have the greater engagement. We have to create new ways to confront with the situation.
T.B: I want to emphasize in the step that some have made. The engaigament of the youth of Errenteria: Lujanbio, Arkaitz and Maitane.
You say that new steps must be made. Whick kind of steps?
Z.O: We are reflecting and learning with our contradictions. We have seen that a debate has been created in the society, that is positive for us, previously there was not debate with the civil rights violation. It's a good signal. We will see in the future if its good or not to confront with the actual situation the expand of disobedience actions to the people that is around (no to that who is going to be arrested). That is, for example, one of the reflections that we must make..
T.B: As Zigor has said, now we are still learning. I think that the most beautiful thing that it has been created in the case of Ekaitz and the youth of Errenteria, is the popular work. We want to create a protection (matrioska is one of the symbols that Eleak uses) of different organizations, as in the case of D3M (an outlawed political party in south basque country).
Matrioska (the symbol) borned one year ago to protect Ekaitz Samaniego. Can we say that it is a new symbol?
Z.O: One year ago we say: That situations, that a lot of times go unnoticed, must be public, making these arrests more difficult. Now we see, after a year, that in a lot of places are asking the symbol of Matrioska for their work. For us that's good.
T.B: We know that matrioska can bee seen anywhere. People have understood the protection that we want to symbolize with matrioska.
Have that protection showed the attitude of police?
T.B: That is one of the objetives. We think that the arrests must not be in their homes, going unnoticed. Arrests must be in the streets, Ekaitz and the youth of Errenteria knew that they were going to be arrested. But we showed that in the streets, we can achieve the protection of people. We saw in Donosti, with that kind of actions, how the youth have achieved the protection of people, but we do not achieve to prevent the arrests, our main objetive.
Z.O: We know that is very hard to see an arrest. That's why we want to reverse the current situation, creating new ways and new engainaments. To confront the current situation we must create new forces.
EAJ/PNV (Basque Nationalist Pary) have said that the attitude of Ertzaintza have changed. Do you think that Ertzaintza can be turn in a "civil police"?
Z.O: The customs of many years can be changed in some days. We know, that Ertzaintza acts with the repressive laws that spanish state use in Euskadi (Gipuzkoa-Araba-Bizkaia)
In north basque country, french political parties critized the arrest of Aurore Martin. Do you expect that change in the attitude of spanish political parties?
T.B: To the popular party will cost much. In the case of PSE (local PSOE), it can be. They have been implicated in the theatre/cinema actions of Errenteria. Besides, they met with the youth of Errenteria and we talked also with Rafaela Romero (member of PSE)
Z.O: Joseba Sarrionandia said, "In the basque country a lot of people support peace but there are few creators of peace". In my opinion, we must increase the pressure on the people that theoretically support peace to turn them in creators of peace.
In the future, which kind of actions is going to make Eleak?
T.B: The matrioska is going to offer protection to the people that is going to be judged on 4 of February for showing basque political prisoners photos during the Korrika. We know that 15 youth of Donosti have been cited in the court to know the sentence. As we said in the demonstration of Donosti, our struggle have not finished. There are still a lot of trials in Basque Country
Z.O: We use the image of two walls to represent our work. We work in the protection of social righs and political rights. We always say that our objetive is not only to denounce the past, unfortunately, our struggle is going to continue in the future.
Z.O: The customs of many years can be changed in some days. We know, that Ertzaintza acts with the repressive laws that spanish state use in Euskadi (Gipuzkoa-Araba-Bizkaia)
In north basque country, french political parties critized the arrest of Aurore Martin. Do you expect that change in the attitude of spanish political parties?
T.B: To the popular party will cost much. In the case of PSE (local PSOE), it can be. They have been implicated in the theatre/cinema actions of Errenteria. Besides, they met with the youth of Errenteria and we talked also with Rafaela Romero (member of PSE)
Z.O: Joseba Sarrionandia said, "In the basque country a lot of people support peace but there are few creators of peace". In my opinion, we must increase the pressure on the people that theoretically support peace to turn them in creators of peace.
In the future, which kind of actions is going to make Eleak?
T.B: The matrioska is going to offer protection to the people that is going to be judged on 4 of February for showing basque political prisoners photos during the Korrika. We know that 15 youth of Donosti have been cited in the court to know the sentence. As we said in the demonstration of Donosti, our struggle have not finished. There are still a lot of trials in Basque Country
Z.O: We use the image of two walls to represent our work. We work in the protection of social righs and political rights. We always say that our objetive is not only to denounce the past, unfortunately, our struggle is going to continue in the future.
A very interesting interview. Freedom for basque country!
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