Solidarity with SEGI - Galway

At lunch time on Wednesday 2nd December, Galway Ógra Shinn Féin gathered a large crowd in Shop Street, Galway city centre to protest in solidarity with the Basque youth movement SEGI, members of which were captured and tortured merely for seeking freedom for their country. ‘Self-Determination for the Basque Country’, ‘Cuir stad leis an ngeirleanúint’ and ‘Put an end to repression in the Basque Country’ were just some of the slogans sprawled across banners at the protest. This demonstration displayed powerfully the outrage of young people and students to this blatant attack on democracy.

Galway Ógra members began with a march up the main street, followed by a protest at a main tourist attraction in the city centre, during which leaflets were distributed and slogans chanted.

As information leaflets were being handed out to passer’s-by the reaction was as expected, very few people, if anybody, knew about what had happened in the Basque Country and when engaged in conversation, became interested in their struggle for freedom. The media is doing a great injustice by refusing to cover this story and give publicity to the Basque cause.
Luke Callinan, chair of NUI Galway’s D’arcy/ Hurson cumann, called for the immediate release of these political prisoners and freedom for the freedom of the Basque country.