Social Initiatives in Support of Egunkaria

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Several social initiatives on behalf of Egunkaria

Several social initiatives are taken place in the Basque Country on behalf of Egunkaria

Among them we can mentioned the one led by the university students of the UPV - EHU who after a long tradition of occupation to raise different issues, also squatted some university premises twice. The occupation started on the 4-3-03: loads of posters were made and put all over the campus of Leioa (Bilbo) and a free euskaltegi (Basque language school) operated during the day. On 5th March the infamous and feared Beltzas (The Black Ones- Basque regional anti-riot police) evicted the students locked -up in one of the university premises. They were evicted in the same way and for second time on the 7th March.

The Basque parliament has decide with the support of EA, PNV and IU to demand the reopening of the paper Egunkaria. Sozialista Abertzaleak (former Euskal Herritarrok) on the other hand demanded this, plus the end of exception state in Euskal Herria (Basque Country). The municipality representatives of EA and PNV are waiting for judge Del Olmo's decision to see how they help economically and technically Egunkaria to reopen.

Meanwhile the unions, Kontseilua (council of Basque language organizations: EHE, Emun, AEK, Elkar and Hika) and the workers of former Egunkaria have call to stop working for an hour on the 13th March. Among those unions: ELA-STV, LAB, EHNE, STEILAS, ESK-CUIS, ELB, HIRU and EGAS. Apart from the parties mentioned before, other parties like Aralar are backing this initiative. Sortzen-Ikasbatuaz is planning to launch support initiatives in all the schools of the basque Country too. University teachers have presented a communiqué too. A demo has been called for the 15th march on behalf of the self-determination.

On the 27th February, more than 300 solicitors from Bilbao positioned themselves against the closure of Egunkaria.

Outside the Basque Country , in Catalunya a platform has been created in support of Egunkaria (Plataforma per Egunkaria ). They have organised several acts like demos and talk with Martxelo Otamendi. The Catalonian regional government (Generalitat) decided to advertise itself in Egunkaria (now Egunero). The leader of the Catalonian socialists paqual Maragall has been scapegoat of the PP governemnt for asking that the tortures against Egunkaria's editor martxelo Otamendi should be investigated. This was also supported by the Catalonian union leader Joan Coscubiela and the basque socialist Odon Elorza.

Otherwise, the day before yesterday the workers of Egunkaria joined the dole office as staff sacked from a company. The paper's staff was 149, though the number of contributors, collumnists and freelance who'll be affected by this situation will be 300.

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