Скачать или смотреть Basque nationalist demo to deny ETA involvement in bombings

(13 Mar 2004)
1. Pan down city hall facade to demonstrators on steps
2. Placard saying in Basque and Spanish "NO TO WAR"
3. Various of demonstrators holding posters
4. Close up demonstrator in beret holding up poster to his face
5. Demonstrators, pan down to Batasuna leadership holding banner at front
6. Close up poster in Spanish addressing Aznar, and saying that this (Madrid attacks) is the price for the genocide in Iraq and blaming Aznar and his party Partido Popular
7. Batasuna leader, Arnaldo Otegi, holding up unofficial ballot paper
8. Close up unofficial ballot paper
9. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Arnaldo Otegi, Batasuna leader:
"We have made these ballot papers and the only thing they say is no to Spanish rule and yes to self-rule for Basque Country. We are calling on thousands of Basques to come out and cast these ballots. They might be officially spoiled votes but for us they have a high political value."
10. Various of demonstrators singing Batasuna Basque nationalist anthem
11. Close up posters
12. Woman singing
13. Wide of memorial for victims of attack, demonstrators in background
14. Various of old people at memorial
15. Pan down on memorial, flowers, candles and stop sign

STORYLINE:

Supporters of ETA's banned political wing, Batasuna, took to the streets of Bilbao on Saturday in a demonstration to deny ETA's involvement in Thursday's Madrid bombings, and to lay the blame on Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his Partido Popular (Popular Party).

They argued that the Spanish government's support of the US-led war in Iraq was directly responsible for the terrorist attacks, which they blame on Al-Qaida.

The Spanish government says the Basque separatist group ETA remains its No.1 suspect, but has not ruled out Islamic terrorism as being behind Thursday's attacks.

Without any official confirmation of who was responsible, voters were having to make up their own minds.

Should voters hold ETA responsible - as many in Spain do - that could boost support for the ruling conservative Popular Party, which campaigned in part on its tough stance against terrorism.

On the other hand, a widespread belief that Al Qaida or an Islamic extremist group is responsible could help convince voters that the government's pro-American stance over the invasion of Iraq is the trigger for the bombings.

Party candidate Mariano Rajoy, handpicked by Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to succeed him, said in a newspaper interview published on Saturday that he blames ETA.

The attack's lethal coordination and timing - 10 explosions within 15 minutes - suggested al-Qaida, but the compressed dynamite used in the backpack bombs is an explosive favoured by ETA.

ETA denied responsibility, according to Gara, a Basque newspaper that the armed group uses to issue statements.

Gara said a caller claiming to represent ETA phoned its newsroom on Friday to deny government allegations that the group was to blame.

It was the first time ETA was known to have issued such a denial.

Batasuna also called on Basques to vote against the government in Sunday's elections and issued replica ballot papers calling for Basque independence.

Batasuna leader Arnaldo Botegi said the ballot papers would not be valid but had symbolic political value.

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