Spain: A Party Gets Out of Hand

Every year the people of Vitoria, a Basque community in northern Spain, celebrate the fiestas of the Virgen Blanca, the city's patron saint. Last week the annual merrymaking was disrupted when about 1,000 youths who had been drinking at fiesta street bars began chanting slogans in support of the Basque terrorist organization ETA. The demonstration soon developed into a riot in which 48 people, including ten police, were injured and tens of thousands of dollars in damage was done to public buildings.

The rioters were protesting the French government's crackdown on suspected ETA terrorists who have fled to France. Basque separatists have traditionally used the southwest of France as a haven and headquarters for planning future attacks, but in recent weeks France has handed over five young Basques to Spain. In a pre-riot visit to Madrid, French Security Minister Robert Pandraud said the deportations would continue.