Spain's ruling Popular Party blasted the Basque interior minister this evening for failing to prevent a demonstration by supporters of the banned radical separatist party Batasuna.
About 20 people were hurt in scuffles with police and four others were arrested during a march by about 50,000 people in Bilbao yesterday to protest the central government's decision to ban Batasuna, the political wing of the armed separatist group ETA.
Madrid Judge Baltasar Garzon, who suspended Batasuna's activities for three years, had called on the regional Basque government to take "necessary measures" to prevent the demonstration, which he said was organised by the ETA. The central government is seeking to have it banned permanently under a tough new anti-terrorism law.
The regional government, which is run by the moderate nationalists of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), had asked police to stop the rally.
Today, the Popular Party in the Basque region asked Basque interior minister Javier Balza to appear before the regional parliament to explain "why the demonstration was not banned despite the order by Judge Garzon."
A PNV spokesman, Inaki Anasagasti, said the Basque regional police had "only done their duty" in dispersing the demonstration.
The Basque police stopped the march about halfway through and fired water cannon at the protesters. Isolated incidents later occurred between police and Batasuna supporters.
AFP