Spanish Civil Guard arrest 8 from EPPK collective set up to help Basque prisoners

The Basque Country was in shock yesterday as eight members of the EPPK, a collective set up to help Basque prisoners, were arrested by the paramilitary Spanish Civil Guard.

In a press release EFA members Eusko Alkartasuna denounced the police operation yesterday and demanded the immediate release of all detainees. “It is not true that the Spanish government is immersed in immobility, it is much more serious as they are promoting a regression in the peace process and normalization and placing obstacles to it… Madrid does not understand, but it is the will of Basque society [for the peace process to succeed], so it is not going to stop,"

EFA MEP Inaki Irazabalbeitia (Aralar) stated,“I consider that this act is clearly against the peace process in the Basque Country. The ETA ceasefire was two years ago; two weeks ago the Basque Political Prisoners Collective made a very important statement to support the peace process; this Saturday a demonstration will be held in Bilbao in support of those prisoners and which is expected to have a huge turnout, like that in January 2013. The Spanish government should have taken a positive attitude towards the resolution of the conflict. Instead it prefers not to make any positive moves based on its cynical electoral calculations not to lose the votes of the extreme right vote in the next European elections.”

The events and demonstration in Bilbao starts at 11am with bands on at Areatza, then at 17.30 two columns will form at La Casilla and the City Hall. The 'sea' of people will then join together to form Itsasoa (the sea) back at Areatza at 18.30.