The campaign against the High Speed Train doesn’t rest over here in the Basque Country. Funny enough: in both sides of it (if you can consider there are such), in the French administrated as ell as in the Spanish one. Next Saturday 17th October a demo has been called in Baiona, where people from ‘both sides’ will attend . Meanwhile the latest attempt to climb trees and defend the woods has failed today when activists were taken down by the Basque police (yes, there is one — brutal,fascist and feared as much as the Spanish and French ones!!). This new attempt aimed to continue the success of the last weeks when activists remained for two weeks up in centenary birch trees in woods facing removal. This action, in some way the first one of its kind after camps, sit-ins, etc, triggered a series of actions all over the Basque Country. Activists climb centric trees of their own cities and towns to show solidarity and to take the message. Without any doubts, the most mediatic of such actions was the climbing of the Gernika tree. This is the historic oak tree which ancient Basque chieftains gathered around. The one targeted by the nazis, the Condor Legion, when the well known bombing of this city. However this seems to be the only tree that really matters to basque politicians.
(i will try to post something else with more time — please distribute this item as widely as you can)
mantxo@yahoo.com
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Video of activists climbing the Basque sacred oaktree of Gernika, the only tree these bunch of technocrats care for. You can notice the police’s (Ertzantza) failure to remove the activist and the subsequent action of the fire brigade. The action had great media coverage. Enjoy it!