Moderate Basque legislators announced plans this week to challenge the constitutionality of Spain’s new law against political parties affiliated with terrorist groups. Meanwhile, the Spanish government asked the Supreme Court to permanently ban Batasuna, the Basque nationalist party that was shut down for three years by a criminal court judge’s ruling in August. Moderate Basque party Eusko Alkartasuna called for silent protests in Guernica against what it termed "attacks against individual and collective freedoms", in an apparent response to the government’s move against Batasuna. Government ministers roundly denounced the moderate groups for holding civil liberties demonstrations, accusing them of sympathizing with alleged ‘terrorists’ in Batasuna. Many moderates fear the government’s actions will only further radicalize many pro-independence Basques.
