Gladys del Estal Ferreño

Gladys del Estal Ferreño (1956 – 1979) was a Basque environmental activist and programmer from San Sebastián. and worked as a programmer in a small computers company.

Death

The anti-nuclear movement called a protest on 3 June 1979 at Tudela against the Basque Country nuclear station construction program. The protest converged with another against the Bardenas aircraft firing range. The Civil Guard took positions in Tudela and charged against the 4,000 marchers who turned out at the peaceful demonstration. As marchers fled, a number of them decided to sit down at the bridge against repression, with Gladys among them. A Civil Guard squad approach them, and the guardsman José Martinez Salas shot the young activist in the back of the head, causing her immediate death.

The author of the shot was judged, receiving a sentence of 18 months imprisonment in December 1981 for "reckless endangerment", since the tribunal in Pamplona deemed his action was 'unintended'. Just the opposite, fellow ecologist activists who prefer to remain anonymous state that the officer José Martínez Salas would direct an obscene comment at her, for which she insulted him. The officer retorted by shooting at her. at a time of intense violent activity pursued by ETA, police forces acting beyond official missions, and paramilitary groups. 38 years on after her death a tribute was staged at the site of her memorial. A footbridge in the city also bears her name.