Civil Action Against ETA Terrorism in Basque Country

This study explores how local and regional authorities, peace organizations, civic groups and victims’ associations challenged and ultimately delegitimised political violence in Basque country over the last four decades. The chapter demonstrates that, while not the only factor in ETA’s demise, civil action was an engine for political transformation and helped to precipitate an end to violence by undermining support within Basque society for ETA. The Basque case holds a number of relevant insights that could be applied to other contexts, including the importance of discursive and normative changes for public attitudes and collective action against terrorism in democratic societies.