Violence marks 5th day of protests in Spain
July 15, 1997
Web posted at: 2:09 p.m. EDT (1809 GMT)In this story:
- Clashes involve ETA political wing
- Government seeks united front
- Another Spanish official threatened
- Related stories and sites
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- The Spanish streets were calm Tuesday after a night of emotional protests and sporadic violence prompted by the killing of a young politician by the Basque separatist group ETA.
A million people marched in Madrid and Barcelona Monday night in the fifth straight day of demonstrations. Meanwhile, independent reports said Tuesday that the ETA has threatened to kill a second local politician.
ETA members kidnapped town councilman Miguel Angel Blanco last Thursday, then fatally shot him in the head on Saturday. Blanco's killing was the 10th ETA assassination this year.
The group had demanded the transfer of 500 Basque prisoners from Spanish prisons to prisons in the independent region.
ETA has killed more than 800 people in a 29-year fight for an independent state.
Clashes involve ETA political wing
Blanco's killing marked a turning point in national attitudes toward the ETA. Basques who once whispered their opposition to the group in private are now screaming it in public.
While most of Monday's protests were peaceful, the public backlash against the ETA led to sporadic violence overnight in some Basque regions. In San Sebastian, more than a thousand anti-ETA protesters hurled eggs and rocks at offices and a bar used by the rebels' political wing, Herri Batasuna.
The people inside the bar retaliated with Molotov cocktails, police said. At least two youths were injured and one person was arrested.
Government seeks united front
With the majority of Spaniards standing firmly against terrorism now, political leaders are working to ensure the united front will last this time. In the past, parties have split over how to fight the rebels.
The government is considering tougher penalties for terrorist kidnappings, and quicker trials for young people who vandalize Basque towns as a show of support for the rebels.
Some individuals linked to the Basque rebels have came out against the killing of the councilman, but the Popular Unity Party as a whole has refused to condemn it. It plans its own large demonstration this weekend to counter the public outcry against terrorism.
Another Spanish official threatened
A new threat against the Popular Party, of which Blanco was a member, came in the form of graffiti scrawled on a wall in the Basque-dominated town of Renteria.
According to Reuters, the Spanish daily El Pais reported that Jose Luis Caso, 63, would be the target of an ETA attack. He is the only Popular Party (PP) official in Renteria.
"It's true that a new threat against a member of the PP has appeared. We will reinforce all security measures," Angel Acebes, the general coordinator of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's party, told reporters Tuesday.
Reporter Al Goodman and Reuters contributed to this report.
- Message Board: Spanish clashes
Related stories:
- Millions march in Spain to honor slain politician - July 14, 1997
- Clashes erupt after slaying of Spanish politician - July 13, 1997
- Spain's Basques blamed in policeman's murder - February 17, 1997
Related sites:
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- El Pais - Spanish newspaper (in Spanish)
- Euskal Herria Journal: a publication of the Basque Congress for Peace
- Si, Spain: information from the Directorate General of Cultural Affairs of the Spanish Foreign Ministry
- Basque Country
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