Omagh Protest In Solidarity With The People of Euskal Herria

Ógra Shinn Féin were on the streets over the weekend to demonstrate their solidarity with the people of the Basque country. One area were Ógra were active was on the streets of Omagh. Demonstrators held Basque flags and posters calling for an end to the repression in the Basque country. A large number of leaflets were distributed on a busy shopping day in the county town of Tyrone.

The protest was one of a number of protests across the world under the slogan “The Basque Country doesn’t walk alone towards democracy and self-determination”. Nationwide the protests stretched the length of Ireland from Cork to Derry.

Speaking following the Omagh protest Ógra Shinn Fein spokesperson Kerry McColgan said

“We were on the streets today to show our solidarity with the Basque people. The repression in the Basque country continues apace at present. Just last week two more pro independence parties were banned by the Spanish Supreme Court from contesting elections scheduled for March. The same people who are behind the banning of the pro independence parties are the same people who are asking the Basque pro independence movement to express themselves politically yet when they aim to contest elections they are deemed illegal. What’s more is that there is a media blackout on the actions of the Spanish and French in the Basque country and so the plight of the Basque people goes largely unnoticed amongst the public.

“Amongst the repressive measures in the Basque country is the banning of political parties and arrests of its member, civil and political rights such as freedom of speech, assembly and association are constantly under siege. In addition peaceful demonstrations are brutally attacked and there is a constant stream of testimonies emerging from the Basque country of torture of prisoners and political activists. The fact that there are currently over 750 Basque political prisoners speaks volumes in itself.

“International pressure must be bright to bear on the French and Spanish states so that their repressive measures are brought to an end and the right of Basque people to national self determination is recognised. Only a solution based on an end to partition, the recognition of the Basque country as a seven provinces nation and the right to national self determination can solve the long and violent conflict.