Spanish parliament takes step to outlaw party accused of links

MADRID, Spain -- Police stormed the offices of a Basque political party aligned with the outlawed ETA separatists Monday, hours after Spain's parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of banning the party.

The fast-moving steps against the Batasuna party began earlier Monday when a judge suspended its activities for three years, accusing it of complicity in terrorist acts carried out by the Basque ETA group.

Parliament's lower house then voted 295-10 in favor of banning the party. The government is expected to ask the Supreme Court on Friday to outlaw the party.

Supporters of the Batasuna party, which has nearly 1,000 elected representatives, gathered outside party offices Monday night in Basque region, waving red-white-and-green Basque flags and swastikas symbolizing Spanish "fascism."

National police evicted 20 provincial assembly legislators and members of the party from its office in the northern city of Pamplona, Spanish radio reported Monday night.

Several hooded youths wielding with clubs smashed the windows of a bus in the seaside city of San Sebastian after forcing its occupants to leave, the Europa Press reported.

Batasuna's offices will be closed and the 24-year-old party will be barred from calling public demonstrations or political rallies or receiving a share of electoral funds, according to Judge Garzon's order. The party also cannot run in municipal elections scheduled for May of next year.

of commandos, fund-raising activities and recruitment operations.

Authorities also accuse Batasuna of fomenting street violence by radical Basque youth groups through its strong anti-Spanish stances and its refusal to condemn ETA's attacks.

The parliament bill was also backed by the opposition Socialists. However, legislators from parties in the Basque, Catalonian, Galician and other small regions either abstained or voted against the motion.

"We disagree on the method and we don't think it's the solution," said an agitated Basque Nationalist Party speaker Inaki Anasagasti.

Anasagasti said he feared his own nonviolent party that favors Basque self-determination would also be banned.

Batasuna's failure to denounce an Aug. 4 car bombing that killed two people including a 6-year-old girl set in motion the legal proceedings that have led to Monday's historic vote in Madrid. Aznar called Batasuna leaders "human garbage" after that attack.