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Almost One Million People in Barcelona Protest ETA Murder
Around 900,000 people held demonstrations in Barcelona on Thursday evening to protest the murder of an ex-minister by the ETA, a Basque separatist group.
The former minister of health, Ernest Lluch, also the dean of International University Menendez Pelayo, was shot dead in his home on Tuesday evening.
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Foreign Minister Josep Pique, Minister of the Interior Jaime Mayor Oreja and other ranking officials led the parade, waving banners that read, "Peace, not ETA in Catalonia."
Shouting "ETA, the killer," demonstrators proceeded along main streets in Barcelona to Catalonia Square.
At the square, a journalist who used to work with Lluch read a declaration before the crowd. According to the declaration, terrorists' plots to split the nation and engender hatred will never succeed, because these plots are in fact uniting the people in a fight against separatism.
The ETA, which has been fighting for Basque independence since 1968, has recently targeted politicians, military personnel, police, judges and journalists. Lluch is the 21st victim this year.
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