Catalonia protests against 9-N summonses

Barcelona (CNA).- The trial of those summonsed by Catalonia's Supreme Court for organising the 9-N consultation has already started and has caused the protest of a large part of Catalan society. This Tuesday, after the Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau and former vice-president Joana Ortega appeared before the court, thousands of citizens gathered together in front of their respective town halls to express their opposition to the court's decision and to show their support for the summonsed. "We are all guilty" they stated during the protests, organised by Alliance for the Right to Self-Determination of Catalonia ('Pacte Nacional pel Dret a Decidir'), a group of 1,500 institutions, political parties, trade unions, business organisations, professional associations, NGOs, cultural organisations and political pressure groups that support the celebration of a referendum in Catalonia. 

During the protests, the participants readthe joint document written by the Alliance for the Right to Self-Determination of Catalonia which states that "all citizens are guilty" for having taken part in the 9-N symbolic vote.The document also described Catalonia's Supreme Court's lawsuits againstPresident Artur Mas, Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau and former vice-president Joana Ortega as "anti-democratic". "The right to decide is inherent to the Catalan citizens and to their condition of being a nation" the document states and adds that "all the attempts to exercise this right haven't been possible due to the Spanish State's opposition". 

Ballots and ballot boxes used

One of the largest protests took place in the Catalan capital. More than 2,000 people demonstrated in 'Plaça Sant Jaume' the square between Barcelona's Town Hall and Catalan government headquarters. The demonstration included the presence of Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau, and members of the Catalan Government such as 'Junts Pel Sí' unitary list leader, Raül Romeva, left wing pro-independence ERC leader Oriol Junqueras and Christian Democrat Unió leader Ramon Espadaler, amongst others. The two main civil society associations supporting Catalonia's independence were also represented, with the Catalan National Assembly's president Jordi Sànchez and Òmnium Cultural's president Quim Torra being present at the Barcelona protest. Trade union and civil society representatives and the Alliance for the Right to Self-Determination of Catalonia's president, Joan Rigol, were also there.

After reading the joint document, the parties and associations represented onstage showed the ballot boxes used during the 9-N consultation in 2014 and the citizens gathered together in the square waved ballots similar to those used to vote in the consultation. During all the protests, slogans against the Spanish legal system and supporting Catalonia's independence could be heard.