Gesto por la Paz

Gesto por la Paz banner at a 2007 march in Bilbao

Gesto por la Paz (Spanish: A Gesture for Peace) was a peace movement that was active in the Spanish Basque Country between 1985 and 2013.[1] Gesto had its roots in an intitiave sponsored by the Catholic Church.[2] It staged tens of thousands of protests over the course of its existence and had as many as 175 local chapters by the 1990s.[2] Biscay was its stronghold.[3] It included supporters from most of the Basque political parties, aside from Herri Batasuna and People's Party of the Basque Country.[4]

ETA was its main target, but it also protested against the use of extrajudicial violence and torture by the Spanish state.[2] It also campaigned against the Spanish government's policy of dispersing ETA prisoners to prisons throughout the country, arguing that they should be housed closer to the Basque Country.[5]

Gesto organized annual peace marches each January and 15-minute silent protests (Gestos) after incidents of political violence.[6] These 15-minute protests were the most visible face of the organization.[7] It also held weekly protests during periods when ETA had kidnapped someone.[2] The first of these silent protests was held in Bilbao on November 26, 1985, after the killings of two Navy officers, Rafael Melchor García and José Manuel Ibarzabal.[2] It was attended by around 200 people.[2]

A series of high-profile ETA kidnappings in the mid-1990s greatly increased Gesto's public profile.[2] During that period Gesto was met by aggressive counter-protests from the Basque National Liberation Movement, sometimes pitting neighbors or family members against each other.[8][4] Gesto also introduced the use of blue ribbons as an anti-violence symbol, which was adopted by many politicians.[7][4] Gesto was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord in 1993.[9]

Gesto disbanded in 2013, two years after ETA announced a permanent ceasefire.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Ormazabal, Mikel and Juan Mari Gastaca. As silently as it made its debut in times of trouble, pacifist platform dissolves. El Pais. June 3, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Argomaniz 4
  3. ^ Beck, Jan Mansvelt. Territory and Terror: Conflicting Nationalisms in the Basque Country. Routledge, 2004. Page 215.
  4. ^ a b c Mees, Ludger. Nationalism, Violence and Democracy: The Basque Clash of Identities. Springer. 2003. Pages 96-96
  5. ^ Argomaniz 6 n21
  6. ^ Argomaniz 4-5
  7. ^ a b Vazquez, Roland. Politics, Culture, and Sociability in the Basque Nationalist Party. University of Nevada Press. 2010
  8. ^ Argomaniz 5-6
  9. ^ 1993 PRINCE OF ASTURIAS AWARD FOR CONCORD. Fundacion Princesa de Asturias.

Sources

See also