Attack on Basques’ radio may presage Right-wing backlash

Press, 13 June 1977, Page 9

Attack on Basques’ radio may presage Right-wing backlash

International

NZPA-Reuter

Bilbao

The threat that a violent Right-wing backlash would disrupt Wednesday’s Spanish General Election emerged at the week-end when a Basque-language radio station was blown up.

The relay station of the, Jesuit-run Radio Popular de' San Sebastian, one of the’ loudest voi es in defence of; Basque nationalism, was* wrecked by a bomb on' Saturday. No organisation has claimed responsibility for the, attack, which appeared to bei in retaliation for the bomb-1 ing of several Spanish television relay stations by thei Basque separatist guerrilla! group, E.T.A The Government recently freed al) but a handful of its Basque political prisoners, in an apparent attempt to

secure peaceful conditions in. Spain’s four Basque pro-, vinces for the election. But Basque pressure; groups have called fo- aj week of demonstrations to: demand amnesty for the re-1 maining prisoners. Six per-! sons died during similar: demonstrations last May. The main Basque parties.: the Socialists. Communists, and Christian Democrats —’■ have urged Basques to ignore; the campaign. Hundreds of pro-amnesty; demonstrators threw up; makeshift barricades of upturned cars in the centre of

the Basque coastal resort of! [San Sebastian yesterday. The; :police fired rubber bullets to! disperse them. i; The neo-Francoist Popular* > Alliance, tipped to become* • jthe strongest conservative • force in the newly-elected ■Parliament, cancelled three I election meetings planned for ..the week-end in the Basque; . port of Bilbao. •! It said that had it called I • off the rallies because its* ipolitical opponents were “in-, qsuiting, provoking, and re-' >'striding the liberty” of; -’people attending its meet-; f ing in the Basque region. ;