The march called by Sare has been carried out peacefully and between banners denouncing the “exceptional prison policy”
Hundreds of people participated this Friday afternoon in Mondragón (Guipúzca) in the act of Sare in favor of ETA prisoners and to denounce the “exceptional prison policy.” For just over an hour, the protesters marched the streets of the town in a peaceful manner, with banners demanding the approach of the prisoners and some shouts of “presoak etxera.” Despite the controversy generated throughout the week, the march was finally carried out without the altercations and confrontations that did take place in the same town in the convocation last September in support of Henri Parot from ETA.
Despite the requests for suspension of the act by groups of victims and political parties, the citizen network Sare decided to continue the march to denounce the “exceptional prison policy” and after removing the poster that made an express reference to Henri Parot and two other members of ETA after the controversy generated in recent days. Sare considered that this mobilization “is compatible with solidarity with the victims” of ETA, so he did not consider canceling it.
Also the judge of the National Court José Luis Calama announced on Thursday that he did not prohibit the act of under the argument that, although it may be a call for “the expression of opinions that disturb or shock various sectors of society”, before that they take place and it is verified if any crime has been committed (such as that of glorifying terrorism) the preventive prohibition does not fit into criminal law. The Prosecutor’s Office ruled after the Government Delegation in Euskadi informed them of the call for this march in case it constituted a crime.
Likewise, Sare offered a press conference in Vitoria on Thursday to announce the suspension of the call for a demonstration to demand the rapprochement of the ETA prisoners that he planned to hold on January 8 in Bilbao, the traditional mobilization that takes place on the first Sunday January for decades. The reason for the cancellation has been the health situation that is experienced by the covid. However, as it did last year for the same reason, the citizen network has changed this central demonstration for concentrations in all the towns of Euskadi and Navarra on January 8. Sare’s spokesman, Joseba Azkarraga assured that this march “is compatible with solidarity with the victims” of ETA and insisted that it is not a question of “a tribute” to the prisoners, but rather a denunciation of the “exceptional penitentiary policy ».
“Exaltation”
Collectives of victims and political parties such as the PSE, the PP and Vox had denounced that in this call the figure of three ETA members was going to be exalted. However, Azkarraga recalled that the names of Henri Parot ‘Unai’, José Manuel Pagoaga ‘Peixoto’ and Eugenio Barrutiabengoa ‘Arbe’ had been removed from the poster to avoid “added pain” to ETA victims.
The Fernando Buesa Foundation, for its part, considered it “legitimate to claim rights” of ETA prisoners, but with a “condemnation of their crimes”
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