The Sunday morning peace of the beautiful seaside resort of San Sebastian was broken yesterday when some 20,000 demonstrators took over its wide boulevards to march in favour of the Basque terrorist movement, ETA. After the rally had ended peacefully, some 30 masked attackers firebombed barricades and clashed with police, who fired rubber bullets in the air.
The march, called by ETA's political front, Herri Batasuna, was the separatists' answer to the mass protests two weeks ago when an estimated six million people took to the streets across Spain to show their revulsion at the kidnap and brutal murder of a young local politician, Miguel Angel Blanco. A planned pro-ETA demonstration called originally for last week was banned by the regional government, which feared violence. The authorities finally agreed to allow yesterday's demonstration on condition that Herri Batasuna provided its own security.
A vast red, green and white Ikurrina, the Basque flag, was carried at the head of the march with the leaders brandishing a banner calling for "a political solution" and the marchers chanting slogans in favour of ETA and their prisoners in Spanish jails. Security was tight in San Sebastian, although police kept at a discreet distance to avoid inflaming tension.
The San Sebastian demonstration comes at a time when Herri Batasuna is under pressure from within its own ranks and all democratic parties, both national and regional, which are looking for ways to isolate HB until it condemns ETA terrorism . The HB mayors in two Basque towns have already been voted out of office, and pressure is mounting in another 20 HB-controlled municipalities. An opinion poll taken in the Basque Country the week after the Miguel Blanco murder showed that HB would lose up to 20 per cent of its support if an election was called today. It has around 18 per cent in the regional parliament, although its following has been slipping slowly over the past decade.
Two renowned Basque nationalist leaders, Mr Julen Madariaga and Mr Chema Montero, issued tough statements condemning their former comrades, and calling on Herri Batasuna to take a stand against terrorism. "Herri Batasuna will lack all credibility until it can criticise ETA and its actions," said Mr Madariaga, who added that the time was ripe for an end to violence. Some of the 500 ETA prisoners serving sentences in Spanish jails have spoken out against the killing. One announced he was on hunger strike to show his solidarity with the family of the dead man; another called for the resignation of the HB leadership, while two others serving long sentences published a letter calling on ETA to lay down its arms.