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30 years of youth organisation in Euskal Herria
30 years ago, Euskal Herria witnessed the creation of the first youth organisation. Jarrai-KAS was born in 1979, later it became Jarrai and rejoined Gazteriak (created on 1994) on 2000, this fusion gave birth to Haika the first national youth organisation, over the imposed borders Basque youth decided to act like a nation and fight the limits our oppressors had imposed on us.
Haika was banned in 2001 by the Spanish "justice", its leadership arrested and sent to jail. But Basque youth wouldn't be stopped by that and shortly after Segi was created. A youth, basque, socialist, revolutionary and feminist organization. A tool against the patriarchal capitalistic system we are condemned to live in, an organisation that will take over the historical position Basque youth has had in the struggle for freedom.
Spanish "justice" would come once again against us and in 2001, Segi was banned, its leadership arrested and sent to prison again. In January 2007, Segi, Haika and Jarrai were declared terrorist organisations by the Spanish Supreme Court, 23 of the members of their leaderships had sentences up to 7 years of imprisonment, most of them keep serving nowadays.
They wanted to criminalize our movement, they tried to terrify the Basque youth, they assumed that it will be enough to make us disappear. They didn't manage. Then they went to all the Basque provinces, they made raids in lots of towns and villages, they arrested over two hundred activists and charged them with being Segi members, they imprisoned them for being politically active in their neighbourhoods, for having ideas and fighting for them. Both the French and Spanish governments have declared war on Basque youth, amongst the over 780 Basque political prisoners, over 70 are young people accused of being members of a youth political organisation.
But anyway this days all over Euskal Herria, diners, demonstrations and all kind of events take place to feast and rejoice for 30 years history, activist that grew old and had to leave the youth movement long ago meet the people that nowadays is part of it, they exchange points of view, they tell each other about, mistakes, successes, sacrifice, engagement, laughs and tears...
Along its history the youth movement has had different projects, ideas, campaigns... one of the most consistent ones has always been the ?Gazte Topagunea?, a big festival held every two years with thousands of people attending. Past editions have welcomed lots of international delegations, and we hope next mid-April ?Gazte Topagunea? will also do.
30 years have gone by and thousands of young men and women have taken part of our project to build a new Euskal Herria, thousands made the choice of fighting for their people, fighting for a different world, and even in this critical moment, when the French and Spanish governments have declared a total war against the Basque Country, (should we just remember the disappearance of Jon Anza, ETA volunter who was last seen on April or
the recent arrest of Arnaldo Otegi, Rafa Diez and another 8 activists under the charge of having meetings to develop a political initiative for the pro-independence left) Basque youth has a clear message for the youth all around the world, in Eire or Berlin, Ahmed or Castilla, Països Catalans or Stockholm, Sardinia or Palestine, struggle is the only way!
We have been here for 30 years, and no matter what they did or what they do, we will keep fighting! They won't stop us!