Catalans called to demonstrate against the judicialisation of politics this Sunday

 

Barcelona (CNA).- Catalans are being called to hit the streets this Sunday to protest against Spain’s use of the courts to stop Catalonia’s pro-independence aspirations and the peoples’ right to vote. One of the most outstanding examples of this was the summonsing in October last year of former Catalan Artur Mas and former Catalan Ministers, Joana Ortega, Francesc Homs and Irene Rigau for co-organising the 9-N symbolic vote on independence. However, there are more than 400 towns and villages which have cases pending with the Spanish State for different political reasons. Thus, the main pro-independence associations in Catalonia, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium Cultural and the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI) have organised a rally in Barcelona, so that civil society can show “its strength again”, as it has done through the several pro-independence demonstrations of recent years. “It is time to say we’ve had enough” ANC’s President, Jordi Sánchez, stated earlier this week.

The organisers are calling for mass participation in order to “defend democracy and the Catalan institutions” and expect the demonstration to show “unity amongst all democrats” and to be as “transverse” as possible. Under the motto “Let’s support our democratic institutions” ANC, Òmnium Cultural and AMI want to express their opposition to the “political and judicial attacks” on Catalonia’s elected representatives. The organisers aim to emphasise that those actions oriented toward launching the pro-independence roadmap and allowing Catalans to vote “are legitimate” and “indispensable in order to culminate the democratic mandate” from the 27-S Catalan Elections, which led to a majority of pro-independence MPs in the Parliament.

Focus on the summonsed representatives

The rally, which is set to take place in Barcelona’s ‘Fonts de Montjuic’ will count upon the presence of Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, who has been accused of ‘disobedience’ by Spain’s Public Prosecutor for allowing the pro-independence roadmap to be put to vote in July. Berga’s Mayor, Montse Venturós, who was arrested last week for refusing to take down a pro-independence flag from the Town Hall’s building on Election Day will also be there. Former Catalan President, Artur Mas, former Catalan Minister for Education, former Catalan Vice President Joana Ortega and former Catalan Government Spokesman Francesc Homs, who were summonsed for allowing the 9-N symbolic consultation to take place in 2014, have also confirmed their presence. Other members of  civil society who have been summonsed, such as the President of the pro-independence association ‘Catalunya Acció’ will also be amongst the attendees. Thus, the demonstration emphasises that the summonsed will be the core of the rally, whereas “all these laws and initiatives which the Spanish Government has stopped by using Spain’s Constitutional Court will have a symbolic presence”.

Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, won’t be able to attend but will attend the demonstration in his home village in Girona, Amer, which will name him favourite son on Sunday. Sánchez considered it “normal” that Puigdemont won’t be present at every rally.

More than 100 buses coming from all over the territory have also been confirmed.

Spain “works harder on its will to silence the democratic mandate”

“At this moment of the process it is important for Catalan society to give unequivocal signs of support to the institutions and political representatives”, stated ANC’s President. According to him “in the recent weeks Spain has decided to work harder on its will to silence the democratic mandate” that the Catalan representatives have received. Sánchez lamented that Spain’s executive is trying “to bring the institutional work of mayors, councillors and MPs, the Parliament’s President and that of the members of the Government to an impasse”.

“Defending democracy”

“This has nothing to do with party acronyms, personalities, nor flags”, said Òmnium Cultural’s President, Jordi Cuixart. “What we are defending this 13th of November and what we have been defending for days is the respect for democracy, the respect for the basic right of the people and the citizens of Catalonia to fully live in a democratic society”, he added.

“The final stage”

In a similar sense, AMI’s President, Neus Lloveras considered Catalonia to be “facing a historic moment” and stand now “at the final stage”; a stage which “is very close to the end of this process” she said, adding that this can be seen “through the intensification of the attacks on elected officials, attacks that are not new, that have been happening for many years”.