Diarmuid Breatnach
(Reading time: 3 mins.)
Spanish Fascists, Basque Anti-fascists and Basque Police clashed on the ‘National Day’ of the Spanish State in the Basque city of Gastheiz/ Vittoria. There were a number of injuries and police stated they made 17 arrests.
October 12th is the ‘National Day’ of ‘Spain’ (although of course the Spanish State is comprised of a number of historic nations with a number of different languages). The 12th October event celebrates the Spanish arrival in and conquests of the Americas.
Through the imposition of Spanish colonial culture on the conquered peoples, Castilian Spanish in a number of forms is spoken throughout Mexico, Central America and all of South America, with the exception of Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
The ‘National Day’ promotes that history and linguistic connections, calling it also “Día de la Hispanidad.” As if that were not enough reactionary baggage for the date, it is also designated Armed Forces Day, with not a little underlying logic.
Over the years this ‘National Day’ has become a focus of struggle throughout the State, from the Basque Country and Asturias to Madrid and down to Andalucia in the South. “Nada que celebrar!” (Nothing to celebrate!”) has become a popular slogan in reference.
For the Spanish Right, including outright fascists, it is a day of pride of imperial and colonial conquest. And of the memory of Generalissimo Franco, the fascist Falange, their war against the Popular Front Government1 and four decades of fascist Dictatorship.2
On the ‘National Day’ the Spanish far-Right in general will not confine their parading to their strongholds but will fill coaches and set off for precisely those areas where they are not wanted, such as Catalunya, the Basque Country and antifascist areas of Madrid.
And of course, will celebrate openly, with flags of the Falange and fascist salutes and banners. The Falange is a legal party in the Spanish State but fascist salutes and symbols on flags are not. However arrests for such displays are rare.
Not so for militant antifascist actions. The police – or at very least their senior officers – understand these questions and who are their real enemies. Accordingly, in Gastheiz, the Basque police (Ertzaintza) deployed against the antifascists and in support of the Spanish fascists.
A determined assault by the latter soon had the cops retreating, leaving the route to confrontation with the fascists open, which the Basques, though outnumbered, without hesitation took to attack the fascists.
But a different detachment of Basque police joined the Spanish fascists and numbers began to tell, forcing a retreat by the antifascists.
Unfortunately, the earlier retreated Ertzaintza had regrouped and the antifascists found their own retreat blocked, seeming to most that to charge the police lines was their best option … they broke through but left behind at least two captured by the police.
At the end of the day, the Falangists got a police safety escort to their coaches and set off home to various parts of the Spanish state. The ‘Zipayos’,3 the Ertzaintza stated they had arrested seventeen, the general expectation being that all those were antifascists.
The cost in arrests and injuries was high for the Basque antifascists, who had to fight on two fronts but they will also be glad that the Spanish fascists did not have their day without facing militant opposition and collecting some Basque bruises as souvenirs of their visit.
End.
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FOOTNOTES
1The Spanish State contains the greatest number of mass graves of the 20th Century outside of Cambodia, mostly of victims of the Spanish military-fascists and mostly outside of military confl
2The dictatorship also reinstalled the Monarchy which had been abolished after the flight of the then King of Spain and the establishment of the Second Republic.
3‘Sepoys’, native troops recruited by the invaders.
SOURCES
A partially-accurate report: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/17-arrested-after-far-right-rally-turns-violent-in-spains-vitoria-9442052
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