Basque football fans groups denounce provocations from police

Stock photo

According to naiz, different basque football fans asociations (Herri Norte, Indar Gorri, Mujika and Iraultza 1921) have remarked the success of the last claim day of basque football national team.

They have also denounced the attitude of Ertzaintza (basque regional police). Before the attack, Ertzaintza identified without any reason to the people and had a provocative attitude. After that, Ertzaintza used unnecessary violence against the supporters. They also said that throwing flares to the football field do not help achieving official status tu basque national football team and they have asked people to not repeat that attitude in the future.

Finally, they have remarked that are going to continue working in favour of official status for the basque sports national teams.

Aurore Martin talks about her arrest

Aurore Martin has been interviewed by France Presse and these are her first words after being released on December 22.

Aurore Martin has said that her arrest was "decision of the government" to repress the territorial demands of north basque country. She thinks that the decision was taken by Manuel Valls (french interior minister) and french government. For her, that was a signal that french government sent to basques "that in north basque country we are not going to have anything".

For Aurore Martin, her arrest was prepared (french government denied that). She was arrested in a french police control at 16:00 and at 21:00 she was delivered to spain.

LAB denounces company harassment

One of the main basque trade unions, LAB (pro-independence and socialist), have protested in front of "Sar Quavitae" company headquearters. According to them, two militants of LAB have been fired for they work in favour of workers rights.

They have demanded the return to work of two militants, if the company do not accept that they will continue protesting.

More protests supporting Lander Fernandez

Dozens of people supported yesterday Lander Fernandez in front of the Italian justice ministry in Rome.

Today, Italian justice is going to analyze the spanish extradition require. In last months there have been different mobilizations in his support in Italy. They have denounced that Italian government collaborates with a government "that tortures political militants". They said that Lander Fernandez have been imprisoned for 6 months in Italian state by the orders of spanish "Audencia Nacional". They have also added, that the crime of which he is accused (burning a bus on 2002)
has prescribed in Italian law. For them the spanish repressive strategy transcends borders including arrests in Ireland, Italy, England or Canada. The past week 20 politicians and universities teachers supported him.

Some of the mobilizations:

2013/01/03 20 Politicians and university teachers ask Italian government to stop the extradition process

2012/12/21 Protest in front of spanish embassy

2012/12/05 Different activities supporting Lander Fernandez in "7Katu" Gaztetxe Bilbo (Bizkaia south basque country)

2012/10/01 Demonstration in Rome

2012/08/02 Two Italian senators asked Italian government to release him

2012/07/10 Protest in front of spanish embassy 

2012/06/29 Protest in fron of Italian consulate in Bilbo (Bizkaia south basque country)

Arrano Beltza (Basque culture)

The Arrano Beltza (black eagle) is an important symbol of basque pro-independence movement and basque nationalists, even for spanish far-right. We can see it in different political demonstrations, football matches, as necklaces or pendings, in mural or grafittis... But where it come?

The Arrano Beltza is an old symbol of Nafarroa kingdom. The basque king "Antso VII Azkarra" used it in early XIII as seal ring. The controversial with spanish far right comes from the different interpretations of the history. For basque pro-independence people, the kings of Nafarroa ruled almost all basque people (Hegoalde and Iparralde). The people of that kingdom faced against the spanish and french imperialism in different battles and rebellions after the conquest. For spanish far-right political parties, the king Antso VII is the first king of spain (he had a strong influential in other territories that eventually form the Kingdom of Castile).

The Arrano Beltza was a personal symbol of Antso VII and not the symbol of the basque kingdom of Nafarroa. It was used in different documents and on 1620 french forces captured it in Pau (where the last loyalist to Nafarroa kingdom met).

The Black Eagle appears in different shields of basque towns: Koreila (Nafarroa), Aguilar Kodes (Nafarroa), Eslaba (Nafarroa), Ikaztagieta (Gipuzkoa),  Errigoitia (Bizkaia) etc. Originally, the background of Arrano Beltza was red and not yellow.

Telesforo Monzon, created the current model of the black eagle. It is considered with the flag of Nafarroa one of the oldest symbols of basque sovereignty.

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Spanish government: "We want a feasible and reasonable regional model"

Mariano Rajoy and Spanish king

According to Berria, Cayo Lara leader of IU (a coalition of spanish leftist political parties) asked to spanish government a question about the regional model and they answered that they are looking for a "feasible and reasonable regional model. However, spanish government have not given more information about that topic.

Some weeks ago, Jose Maria Aznar (ex president of spanish state) said that Spain will break if Catalonia breaks. Recently in Catalonia the political parteis in favor of self-determination won the elections and now the two biggest political parties (ERC and CIU)  are working on a deal to date the query.

Mariano Rajoy (president of spanish state), said that the regional model created on 1978 (after Franco's death) operates correctly but they are going to modify it. 

EA (a pro-independence and leftist political party that is inside of Bildu coalition) have denounced that spanish centralism is invading the powers (education, public system, local economy etc.) of regional governments. Besides, they also criticized the current model of different basque institutions: Two different regions in south basque country (Euskadi-Nafarroa), four parliaments and each of it with their budgets

Controversial murals in different towns of Nafarroa

The spanish government delegation in Nafarroa (south basque country) ordered to Guardia Civil (spanish military police) one month ago to making a report with the mural or graffitis "that supports terrorism".

According to the spanish military police report, in Etxarri and Arbizu there are different graffitis or murals "in support of ETA, Segi and basque prisoners". In Arbizu, there are different graffitis supporting ETA and Segi and others rejecting the presence of spanish police. Since spanish government required Etxarri and Arbizu towns councils for removing that murals, only one of the murals was removed. These towns are governed by pro-independence political parties. Now,  Nafarroa government (UPN an unionist right-wing political party) is going to delete directly the murals and going to make the villages pay.

Another three towns (Basaburua, Iturmendi and Leitza) have been also denounced by Guardia Civil.

Some of the murals:

Etxarri: Three militants of ETA (killed by spanish forces)

Lakuntza: "Stop torture"

Etxarri: ETA symbol

ETA symbol

Lander Fernandez supported by Italian politicians and people

According to BilboBranka, the basque young Lander Fernandez imprisoned in Italy (spanish state want his extradition) have received recently the support of 20 senators and teachers.

Lander Fernandez was arrested in June 2012. According to spanish authorities, he was member of ETA. In the past, he was imprisoned for 5 years in France for possessing weapons and stealing a vehicle. On 2009, he was arrested in Madrid during the investigation of sabotages.

Now, he was accused of participating in a sabotage (burning a bus) on 2002. The politicians have denounced that spanish police achieved evidences using torture. Besides, they also remarked that "Audencia Nacional" is an excepcional tribunal in Europe.

The signatories:

Stefano Anastasia (Antigon)

Cesare Antetomaso (Giuristi democratici)

Leonardo Arnau (Giuristi democratici)

Matteo Bartocci (Il manifesto)

Rita Bernardini (parlamentarian – radicali)

Roberto Della Seta (senator – PD)

Luigi Ferrajoli (University professor of law)

Francesco Ferrante (senator – PD)

Luciano Gallino (Lecturer in Sociology in the university of Turin)

Patrizio Gonnella (Antigone)

Luigi Manconi (‘A buon diritto’ president)

Fabio Marcelli (Isgi CNR)

Pietro Marcenaro (senator – PD)

Pancho Pardi (parlamentarian – PD)

Marco Perduca (senator – Radicali)

Donatella Poretti (senator – Radicali)

Rossana Rossanda (politician, journalist and filmmaker)

Claudio Tognonato (teacher of philosofy and sociology in the university of Tree Rome)

Vincenzo Vita (senator – PD)