Ógra Shinn Féin Organise Basque Solidarity Protest in Dublin

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Monday December 17, 2007 18:06

by Barry McColgan - Ógra Shinn Féin

osfnational at yahoo dot ie

Ógra Shinn Féin held a demonstration outside the GPO in Dublin Saturday last in solidarity with the people of the Basque country, especially the leaders of Batasuna and SEGI, who have been recently arrested and sentenced to irrational jail terms, by the Spanish authorities. In response to this Ógra Shinn Féin working with the Dublin Basque committee mobilised onto the streets of Dublin to bring the issue to the public.

Speaking after the protest Ógra Shinn Féin International Officer, Orlagh Mc Cauley detailed the reasons for the protest;

“I’m delighted with the attendance at today’s demonstration. Ógra in co-operation with the Dublin Basque committees brought the plight of the incarcerated pro-independence Basque activists to the streets of Dublin. Today’s protest attracted a lot of attention from the people of Dublin who seemed genuinely interested in the ongoing situation in the Basque country. Ógra Shinn Féin stand and will continue to stand in solidarity with the people in the Basque country in their calls for independence.”

“Ógra Shinn Féin mobilised here today in co-operation the Basque Solidarity committees to demand that the Spanish Government re-initiate the process of political engagement with Batasuna. The behaviour of the Spanish Government in the context of the Basque political is unacceptable and Ógra renew our demand that talks between the sides are restarted immediately.”

“Ógra Shinn Féin fully support the demands of the Basque left-independence movement the demands. We believe their cause is just and condemn unreservedly the treatment of the Basque people by the Spanish authorities. We stand, and will continue to stand, in solidarity with the youth wing in the Basque country – SEGI. We have close ties with SEGI and we believe that the attempted criminalisation of them by the Spanish authorities is a cynical, un-democratic move.”

“The Spanish Government need to immediately accept the right of the Basque people to self-determination. Ógra Shinn Féin therefore call on the Spanish authorities to immediately re-initiate the political process and put an end to the political posturing which they have engaged in up to this point.”

“Freedom for the Basque Country, Saoirse dosna Bascaigh, Jo ta ke!”