Christmas Present

What you are about to read is what I call true solidarity:

Zuzen and Demo members get into La Santé to demand transfer of Basque prisoners to the Basque Country

Eleven people climbed the wall and three of them, two Father Christmases and an assistant, went inside the jail

Nora Arbelbide, Special Correspondent/Paris

A total of 11 people climbed the wall of La Santé Prison in Paris. One dressed as Olentzero, two as Father Christmas and the rest in T-shirts of the Demo and Zuzen Ekintza Taldea action groups. They demanded that Basque prisoners be transferred to the Basque Country like the Corsican prisoners, who are being taken to Corsica. They climbed the wall at about 11.30 hours and stayed there until 14.00 hours. Two Father Christmases and an assistant managed to get inside. They had the chance to talk to the prisoners. Below, 25 members of "Demo" and "Zuzen" danced and sang to the accompaniment of music.

Those below were taken to the police headquarters at 12.00 hours. The others were taken at 14.30 hours. The 36 detainees spent the afternoon there and at 17.00 hours the 25 who had remained below were released, the rest two hours later.

It was the third time that a similar event had been staged at La Santé prison. There are about ten Basque prisoners there. "It's a symbolic prison. One of the oldest in the French State. Moreover there have been many reports, medical ones in particular, that show that the prisoners are in a bad situation," said Peio Etxeberri Aintxart, the spokesman for "Demo."

At around 11.15 hours a van stopped outside the main entrance to the prison. 10 metres from there they quietly took out two 10-metre long ladders. Both were put against the wall and 11 members climbed to the top of the wall step by step with the police looking on. There were a couple of police officers there, but all they did was watch. As soon as the other "Demo" and "Zuzen" members who had remained below had switched on the music next to the wall, the melody of "Hator Hator" could be heard, and the 25 who had stayed below danced to the music. With a microphone they cheered on the prisoners and those on top of the wall.

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