Dublin protest at repression and torture in the Basque Country.

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday February 25, 2009 15:54 by Diarmuid - Dublin Irish Basque Solidarity Committees basquedublin at gmail dot com

The Dublin branch of Irish Basque Solidarity Committees held a protest against repression and torture in the Basque Country on Saturday February 14th in O'Connell Street, the main street of Ireland's capital city. They also linked in with the celebration of the late Bob Doyle, last of the Irish who fought in Spain against Franco 1936 -- 39.

Nearly 50 people flew Ikurrinak (Basque national flags), displayed the banner of the Dublin committee with its slogan of “Freedom for the Basque Country” and held placards protesting at repression and torture of Basque activists in the Basque pro-independence left movement.

Similar demonstrations were held in Cork, Belfast, Derry, Newcastle and Omagh. Later that day, the committee learned that a demonstration against the earlier banning by the Spanish Government of the new Democracy 3 Million election platform had itself been banned, with the threat of pro-Spanish “Autonomous Basque Region” police violence against it if it proceeded.

It being St. Valentine's Day, a day associated with romance and love in many parts of the world, the Dublin Committee employed the theme of “No Time for Love in the Basque Country”. They were following the example of the theme of some other protests in the Basque Country and around the world on this day for some years now, inspired by the words of the anti-repression song “No Time for Love” made famous by the Irish band of the 1980s Moving Hearts. Supporters of the Dublin branch of the Irish Basque Solidarity committee displayed placards with the shape of a large red heart and the slogan “NO TIME FOR LOVE” cutting across it, along with other text to drive the message home. The placards were held by supporters but also taped to the pavement, so that passengers of passing traffic and in particular those on the the top deck of the city's buses could easily read them.

Hundreds of leaflets were distributed to residents of and visitors to Ireland's capital and many stopped to ask questions or to express solidarity with protest. Some of the visitors were from the Spanish State and one man crumpled a leaflet, swore at a protester in Spanish and shouted “Arriba España!” (a common slogan of the Spanish Rightists under Franco and still today). A Spanish woman also called the protestors “terroristas!” Both appeared outraged that such a protest could happen anywhere outside the Basque Country and indeed it would be rare for such to be permitted in most of the Spanish state. The Irish protestor yelled back at them: “Arriba la Libertad!” (“Long live Liberty!”) and “Abajo la represión! Abajo la tortura! ” (“Down with Repression! Down with torture!”). However some visitors from Spain also came to discuss the situation in the their state and even to show solidarity with the Basques, while some visitors from the Basque Country and Catalunya showed their delight at the protest.

A contingent from the Irish Republican group Éirigí also displayed their own banner and their placards against repression of the Basques and in support of Basque political prisoners. Some members of Sinn Féin and some socialist individuals also supported the protest.

After an hour-and-a-half the Dublin Irish Basque Committee ended their protest. At that time a parade was approaching in mourning and celebration of Bob Doyle (19??-2009). The Dublin man, who died in January, had been the last surviving Irishman who fought in the 15th International Brigade in support of the Spanish Republic of 1936. As the Irish lone piper and the Spanish Republican flag passed and the Brigadista's relatives and other mourners approached, the Basque protestors and their supporters dipped the Ikurrinak (Basque national flags) and one from Palestine in respect and kept them lowered until the last of the procession passed; the party of relatives and friends and others in the procession gave back the salute in raised clenched fists. The Basque protestors then raised their flags, unfurled the Freedom for the Basque Country banner of the Dublin Committee, and took up the rear of the procession as it continued on to Liberty Hall, headquarters of the Irish trade union SIPTU and site of the ITWGU union founded by the Irish socialists and republicans James Connolly (shot by the British in 1916) and Jim Larkin.