Gesto por la Paz

Gesto por la Paz (Spanish: A Gesture for Peace) was a peace movement that was active in the Spanish Basque Country between 1985 and 2013.^[1] Gesto had its roots in an intitiave sponsored by the Catholic Church.^[2] It staged tens of thousands of protests over the course of its existence and had as many as 175 local chapters by the 1990s.^[2] Biscay was its stronghold.^[3] It included supporters from most of the Basque political parties, aside from Herri Batasuna and the People's Party of the Basque Country.^[4]

Gesto por la Paz banner at a 2007 march in Bilbao

ETA was its main target, but it also protested against the use of extrajudicial violence and torture by the Spanish state.^[2] It also campaigned against the Spanish government's policy of dispersing ETA prisoners to prisons throughout the country, arguing that they should be housed closer to the Basque Country.^[5]

Gesto organized annual peace marches every January and 15-minute silent protests (Gestos) after incidents of political violence.^[6] These 15-minute protests were the most visible face of the organization.^[7] The first of these silent protests was held in Bilbao on November 26, 1985, after the killings of two Navy officers, Rafael Melchor García and José Manuel Ibarzabal.^[2] It was attended by around 200 people.^[2]

Gesto also held weekly protests during periods when ETA had kidnapped someone.^[2] A series of high-profile ETA kidnappings in the mid-1990s greatly increased Gesto's public profile.^[2] During that period Gesto was met by aggressive counter-protests from the Basque National Liberation Movement, sometimes pitting neighbors or family members against each other.^[8][4] Gesto also introduced the use of blue ribbons as an anti-violence symbol, which was adopted by many politicians.^[7][4] Gesto was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord in 1993.^[9]

Gesto disbanded in 2013, two years after ETA announced a permanent ceasefire.^[1]