THE Balearic government spokesman Antoni Garcías yesterday defended the constitutional right to demonstrate against the war in Iraq and called on people to do so peacefully. He added that the demos held in the Balearics up to now had been exemplary and the only regrettable incident was when students threw stones at the PP (Popular Party) headquarters a few weeks ago. This should not happen again, he said. Garcías said that he and other ministers would continue to take part in the demos organised in the Balearics, including the one which will be held in Palma this afternoon. He spoke of the gravity of the conflict which has meant the rupture of international rules with a preventive war. He added if this type of conflict prevails from now on, I do not know where we will end up. Garcias insisted that the demos should be peaceful and that the role of the security forces is to defend this right and to prevent violent incidents.
Commenting on demos in the Balearics, he insisted that those people who had shown a violent attitude were very few. He went on to say that he found it curious that yesterday, at the official naming of former leader Jaume Matas as candidate, the eggs were thrown by members of the PP, according to what I have read in the Press. But, he went on to say, bombs cause more damage than eggs, and while we throw eggs at each other there will be no dead or injured; therefore, let us put things into perspective. He also criticised Matas for comparing the small incidents which occured in demos in other communities to the disturbances in the Basque Country.
People are showing very civic behaviour, Garcias said, and called on the PP not to try to provoke social division, and not to distract attention from the chief question, which is the war in Iraq and the opposition of the vast majority of citizens of the Balearics and the whole of Spain.
SURVEY
The latest survey conducted by the central government's Sociological Research Centre (CIS) shows that 91 per cent of Spaniards are opposed to the war.
And two out of every three people consulted felt that Spain should have remained neutral.
The survey referred to the period February 22 to 28, when the allied attack had not started.
Only 10.9 per cent approved of the Spanish government's position in the conflict.
The survey put the war as the third main problem of the country after unemployment and terrorism.