Madrid holds huge anti-Eta march

Demonstrators carried photographs of relatives killed in Eta attacks

At least 250,000 people have demonstrated in Madrid against a government plan to negotiate with the outlawed Basque separatist group, Eta.

The Spanish parliament voted several weeks ago to re-start talks if Eta agrees to disarm.

Some of the demonstrators carried banners reading "Negotiations - not in my name".

More than 800 people have been killed during Eta's 40-year campaign for an independent Basque state.

The march was organised by the Association of the Victims of Terrorism, a group close to Spain's opposition Popular Party.

It organised buses to bring supporters to the demonstration and has been accused of manipulating terror victims to score political points, says the BBC's Katya Adler in Madrid.

Former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who survived an Eta assassination attempt in 1995, took part in the march.

A number of other victims' association boycotted the event, as did Spain's High Commissioner for the Victims of Terrorism, Gregorio Peces-Barba.

The Spanish government said regardless of the protest its anti-terror tactics would remain the same - to put victims first, and ask Eta to disband.