(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-10-07 10:09

Barrena denounced the detention of "23 activists from the independent left" and that it amounted to "a declaration of war" seeking to "slam the door on Basque independence."

He called for a renewed commitment "to pursue the fight for independence and socialism."

Spanish radio said some of the suspects were being transferred to Madrid Saturday, but police searches in the region were still going on.

Premises raided included a property near San Sebastian of the Communist Party of the Basque Lands, which is allied to Batasuna but not banned.

On Friday hundreds of people demonstrated in protest against the arrests in various Basque cities, including 1,000 in Bilbao, the region's financial and cultural centre.

ETA has killed 819 people during almost four decades of fighting for its cause. Both Batasuna and ETA are listed as terrorist organisations by the European Union and the US government.

Batasuna with Marxist-Leninist leanings has been banned as a party since 2003 for refusing to condemn violence and cut its links to ETA. The detained leaders face charges related to Garzon's investigation into those links, especially the party's suspected financing of ETA's activities.

Barrena said on Friday that the roundup was designed to boost the Socialist government ahead of March elections, when the question of regional autonomy and the "Basque problem" are expected to be major issues.

On Thursday Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said: "ETA has only one option which is to lay down its arms, to abandon violence," as he rejected any dialogue with the armed group.

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