Begoña Garaikoetxea of the Network of Young Euskaltzales and Aize Otaño of AEK took the floor, stressing the need for a “popular response”. A year ago, Euskara Aurrera, organized by Gazte Euskaltzaleon Sarea, expressed his “concern” about the situation of the Basque Country. “We consider worrying the judicial decisions taken against the Basque people, the low presence of the Basque people on the screens and the repeated violation of the right to learn Basque. And from the experience and from the perspective of our generations, we saw the need to respond to this situation,” they explain.

This demonstration, held in San Sebastian in May 2022, brought together thousands of citizens who have continued to work this year “with the illusion and joy that has left the mobilization”. “The result is, together with the Basque groups of Ikama and the university, the mobilization of 23 March in favor of the right to learn Euskera and Euskera,” they point out.

Four demonstrations will take place on Thursday at 12:00 in the four capitals of Hego Euskal Herria. Bilbao by the Sacred Heart, Donostia by the Boulevard, Vitoria by the Snow and Pamplona by Antoniutti.

Aggression against the Basque Country

According to the organizers of this mobilization, “political, legal and media aggression against people who want to live in Basque has not ceased last year.” They have denounced that this aggression has “ruined” the Basque people in recent years, “through sentences that allow violations of linguistic rights, and also through speeches that justify such violations”.

In this sense, they consider that Uliazpi’s last sentence “has exceeded all the red lines”. “It has been a direct attack on local workers and, above all, on the rights to live in Basque for the most vulnerable citizens,” they stress. Judges and magistrates consider that “reactionary language policies” are being developed and that “direct attacks” are taking place against the skills acquired by previous generations to develop language policies.

Therefore, on March 23, it was called to “fill the streets” in the mobilization for Basque education. “The mobilisation of 23 March must be a citizen response because our language, our future and our rights are at stake,” they said.