Exhibition of Eta Photos Angers Victims' Families

Photographs depicting the Eta conflict in Spain's northern Basque region that have gone on display at the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao have caused outrage among victims' families, leading to calls for them to be withdrawn.

The black-and-white images by photojournalist Clemente Bernad, entitled Basque Chronicles, have stirred up strong feelings, with the Association of Victims of Terrorism in the Basque Country and the conservative opposition People's party (PP) demanding their withdrawal.

Among the photographs is one of a man crying over the coffin of an Eta member at his funeral. The association, whose members include relatives of many of the 800 people killed in four decades of violent struggle for Basque independence, described the photographs as "highly offensive to the victims of terrorism".

The PP proposed a motion in the regional Basque parliament calling for the pictures to be removed, saying they were an "apology for terrorism". The picture captions, which describe scenes of protests as being carried out by "Eta militants" or "militant supporters of independence" rather than "terrorists", have also been criticized.

The director of the museum, Juan Ignacio Vidarte, expressed his "surprise and sadness" at the reaction, saying that he had no intention of withdrawing them unless ordered to do so by a judge. He said Bernad had contacted the families of all those who appeared in the photographs to ask for their approval.

The outcry has overshadowed what was meant to be a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Guggenheim. The museum is credited with helping to revitalize the industrial city of Bilbao and the photographs were part of a series, To Each Their Own, celebrating contemporary Basque art.