Iñaki Kijera Zelarain (Donostia, Basque Country, 30 April 1961-Donostia, Basque Country, 1 September 1979) was shot dead by a member of the Spanish National Police in a demonstration in favor of Basque political prisoners and refugees. He was 18 when killed, and lived with his parents at Antiguo district.
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Four years after the death of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, the Spanish State was still in great turmoil. All repressed groups, ideologies and nationalities saw a chance to express their opinions and wishes and a new Constitution was formed in 1978. This Constitution let the possibility to do Statutes of Autonomy for different territories, like the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country on 25 October 1979.
It was an year of great tumults. The attacks against Basque political refugees in Northern Basque Country (under French administration), and French Police Forces' repression didn't make things better for Basque left nationalists. Hunger strikes and other protest were done to denounce the situation, and to claim the political status of Basque prisoners and refugees, namely in: Hendaia, Hazparne, Gasteiz, Bilbao, Durango, Donostia, and Iruñea.
That same year, France refused to acknowledge Basque refugees as political arguing that Spain was already a democracy. To protest against such decision, refugees started a hunger strike in several Northern Basque Country places, under the slogan "Euskadin bizi nahi dugu", "We want to live in Euskadi". In Southern Basque Country, solidarity was shown in different ways: elects closed themselves up in administrative buildings, people did hunger strikes in solidarity, and appeared on several demonstrations. Some of those turned to be specially bloody.
On 31 August 1979, more than forty elects of different political parties (HB, EE, LKI, PTE and EMK-OIC) closed themselves up in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa in favor of Basque political refugee's rights. Next day, Committees in Favor of Amnesty ("Amnistiaren Aldeko Batzordeak") called for a demonstration with similar claims to be done on September 1, in the four Southern Basque Country capitals. Joaquin Argote, the Civil Governor of Gipuzkoa, banned Donostia's demonstration. Forces of Public Order took all the city on 1 September, in order to prevent any attempt of demonstration.
However, some 2000 people showed up and along with those closed up in the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and in the City Council of Donostia (who were tied up to each other as a sign of protest), started a demonstration from the Boulevard. The Spanish National Police charged with great violence.
Iñaki Kijera took part on that same demonstration altogether with his friends. When the Spanish National Police skattered the demonstrators, he sheltered himself in the Old Town. When the police took the street he and a girl were on, they tried to reach the gardens of Alderdi Eder and he was shot by an officer from 10 meters of distance. The bullet hit him in the right side and emerged from his back; he fell onto the floor bleeding from his chest. He stayed for 15 minutes lying on the pavement, at the rear of the City Council. Those who tried to approach him where stopped by the police who hit and shot rubber balls to them. When a doctor and a nurse of the Red Cross tried to aid Iñaki, the coppers hit the professionals with nightsticks even after them identifying themselves as Red Cross members. After some fighting, they were able to take care of the dying Kijera. Finally, friends got to put Iñaki in a private car after dodging shot rubber balls. The young man was transferred to an ambulance and sent to an hospital, where he died.
There were more injuries in that same demonstration: the La Vanguardia newspaper named Jon Artola Lopez, Javier Atorrasagasti and two elects of the town of Oiartzun, along with other four people sent to the hospital.
Next day was trawler race day in Donostia, but it got canceled, and mayor Jose Maria Alkain (PNV) decreed official mourning day.
In Monday, a general strike in Southern Basque Country paralyced Gipuzkoa: even gas stations where shut down, and radios broadcast classical music all through the day. In Donostia, just a few food stores where open, and only till midday. There were no taxis nor buses on the streets. Forces of Public Order went from one side of the city to another, and the downtown's as well as neighborhood's entrances where blocked by barricades.
Iñaki Kijera was buried in Polloe cemetery, and funeral rituals were made in Antigua district's "San Sebastian Martir" church. 10.000 people demonstrated; they headed to Donostia's downtown but once again, the police charged and scattered the demonstrators with great violence, and disturbances took place all through the city. As a result, there were more injured and arrested demonstrators.
The general strike continued on Bizkaia, Nafarroa and Araba.