Demonstration in Donostia

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Itziar Lopategi: “Neither Garzon, nor Balza, nor the rain will stop this people”

Thousands of people converged on Donostia to demand democracy and self-determination for the Basque Country

I. Etxeberria – O. Elduaien/Donostia (San Sebastian)

Thousands of heads under a canopy of umbrellas. A single aim: to demand the Basque Country’s right to self-determination. “Neither Garzon, nor Balza, nor the rain has managed to stop this people!” This is how Itziar Lopategi summed up the wishes and intentions of those who came together in Donostia (San Sebastian) yesterday. This is “the feeling of the majority of the Basque people,” she said. The response was a round of applause.

There were thousands of people, well-known and unknown, accompanied by the rain. Young and old alike, along the streets. With umbrellas, anoraks, walking boots, etc. many had come prepared for the rain. But some got drenched, for example those who were carrying the banner with the slogan “Demokrazia Euskal Herriarentzat. Autodeterminazioa orain!” (Democracy for the Basque Country. Self-determination now!). However, they didn’t get wet for the same reason as in the demonstration of September 14 in Bilbo and they were in a good mood. In fact the Ertzaintza or Police force of the EAE did not stand in the way of the demonstration at all.

And Judge Baltasar Garzon didn’t issue any rulings on this occasion, even though Javier Balza, the Interior Minister of the EAE, had said that might happen. The Basque Government had banned the demonstration on the basis of Garzon’s ruling banning the Bilbo march, and this very week the High Court of the EAE quashed the decision. In the end the demonstration went ahead normally.

At the front of the march were Xabier Amuriza, the “bertsolari” (extempore poet); Itziar Lopategi, member of the Basque trade union LAB; Fito Rodriguez, lecturer at the University of the Basque Country (EHU); Alex Marañon, of “Ikasle Abertzaleak” the Basque nationalist students’ group; Pantxoa Belin, member of “Askatasuna”; Pello Zabala, the weatherman; and Joseba Permach, among others, representing all areas of the Basque Country.

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