Basque week of protest

Burned-out bus: Basque nationalists are suspected

By Flora Botsford in Madrid

The political wing of the Basque separatist group, ETA, has begun a week of protest aimed at putting pressure on the French and Spanish Governments to release ETA prisoners or move them closer to home.

Daily demonstrations and a strike affecting government offices are being organised by the Basque nationalist party, Euskal Herritarrok.

On Monday, demonstrations took place in several Basque cities in northern Spain, including San Sebastian and Bilbao, where ETA's political wing, Euskal Herritarrok, draws most of its support.

The party is also calling for employees in government offices and the Basque parliament to stay away from work on Wednesday.

Prisoner bid

There is nothing new in ETA's demands - it had wanted prisoners released during its 14-month ceasefire, which broke down last year.

Euskal Herritarrok, which has a handful of seats in the Basque parliament, is hoping to generate political support from more moderate Basque nationalist parties for what it sees as a reasonable request.

There are about 600 ETA prisoners scattered all over Spain. Some are up to 1000km from their families and others are serving sentences in France.

During the failed peace process, the Spanish Government moved a small number of prisoners closer to home, but Euskal Herritarrok said that was only a small gesture for political purposes.

More than a 100 ETA prisoners are reported to be joining the protests on a hunger strike rota.

Twenty go without food for several days, and when they stop, another 20 take their place.

But there has been no reaction so far from the Spanish Government and no mention of the campaign in the national media.