More than 20 media outlets in Catalonia condemn the ministers' arrest and say country “won't be silenced by repression”

More than 20 media outlets in Catalonia have written a joint manifesto condemning the imprisonment of the Catalan vice president and ministers and urging their immediate release. In the text, they said that the arrests are "devastating" and remind citizens of "other dramatic events in our past." The arrests and the "repression measures" of the Spanish government open a new "dark chapter" in history, they wrote. According to these media outlets, those imprisoned are "members of the legitimate government of Catalonia" and therefore should be immediately released.

"The Catalan nation won't be silenced by repression," they wrote. The papers also urged the international community to recognize that the "legitimate aspirations" of the Catalan people to decide their future "democratically" should be addressed. "Democratic and national rights should be defended in a civic and tolerant way," they said.

The media outlets urge to re-instate the "legitimate" Catalan government and Parliament, dissolved by the Spanish executive, and demand an end to all the judicial procedures against pro-independence politicians, mayors that collaborated in the referendum or citizens. Moreover, according to the papers, Catalonia should not see ever again violence such as that of the October 1, when Spanish riot police officers injured more than 900 people.

The papers signing the manifesto are so far 'El Nacional', 'El Punt Avui', 'Diari Ara', 'Nació Digital', 'Vilaweb', 'Directe', 'El Temps', 'Racó Català', 'El Vallenc', 'Nova Conca', 'Revista Esguard', 'L'Opció', 'Sàpiens', 'Descobrir', 'Enderrock', 'Bonart', 'El Món', 'Tot Sant Cugat', 'Tot Cerdanyola', 'Tot Rubí', 'El Món Terrassa' and 'Revista Mirall'.