Barcelona, Spain – Hundreds of people marched through Barcelona last week to mark the eighth anniversary of Catalonia’s independence referendum, calling for renewed efforts to separate from Spain.
On Wednesday, October 1, protesters gathered outside the Palau de la Generalitat– Catalonia’s seat of government- before marching down Via Laietana to the headquarters of the Spanish National Police (Jefatura Superior de Policía de Catalunya).
Chants of “October 1st, neither lost nor forgotten” and “We voted and we won” echoed through the Barcelona streets, along with slogans such as “Catalonia will be the tomb of facism” and “Out, out, out with the Spanish flag!”
The protest was organised by Comitès de Defensa de la República Catalunya (CDR), a pro-independence organisation formed in 2017 to facilitate the independence referendum. Spain’s civil guard has described the organisation as “criminal […] with a terrorist purpose.”
Some demonstrators also criticised Catalan political parties.
“The problem we have now is bad politicians,” a young protester named Dana told EU Reports amid the dissenting march. “The people, and above all, the young people, are very tired [of this situation]. I am here, here always, and I will be here always,” she added.
“Politicians will pass, but the people will continue”, echoed two other protestors, Ester and Enric.
The 2017 Catalan independence referendum
The Catalan Parliament, led by then-president Carles Puigdemont, approved an independence referendum on September 6, 2016. The Spanish government declared it unconstitutional the following day, and it was suspended by the Spanish Supreme Court. Regardless, the vote went ahead on October 1, 2017.
That day, national and regional police forces were ordered to stop the vote and close polling stations, using batons and rubber bullets.
According to a report by the Catalan Health Department, 1,066 people received hospital treatment for injuries sustained during the violence, including 23 elderly individuals over the age of 79. Twelve police officers were also injured.
The police response to the referendum was condemned by several international organizations, including Amnesty International.
With over 2.2 million votes cast, over 90% favored independence. Critics, however, questioned the results due to a 43% turnout, noting that police repression and polling station closures prevented many from voting.
Unionist parties like the Partido Popular (PP), Ciudadanos, and the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC) told their supporters to boycott the referendum, as they believed the process to be illegitimate.
International observers ultimately declared that the vote did not meet international standards for free and fair elections.
Sunday’s protest
Another demonstration took place on Sunday, October 5, drawing over 150 people. Organised by pro-independence grassroots organisation Assemblea Nacional Catalana, it was overwhelmingly attended by young people, who chanted “Without youth, there is no revolution.”
Protestors gathered at Urquinaona Square before walking down Via Laietana and to Plaça de Sant Jaume I, where speeches were delivered.
Outside police headquarters, some dissenters shouted obscenities against Spain and burned the Spanish flag, later tearing it apart and stomping on it.
Other chants included “Yesterday, today and tomorrow: school in Catalan!” and “Out with the forces of occupation!”
Read more: Barcelona celebrates annual cultural festival as Catalan language use declines
At Plaça de Sant Jaume, Pau Pacheco i Domingo, one of the speakers, told EU Reports:
“The ‘Yes’ team won the referendum because a majority of the population wanted Catalonia to be a new country, and we voted this way because there are a lot of ways that Spain oppresses us as a country. For example, they do not give us all of the money that we deserve, they suppress our traditions and our language, they despise us.”
“We are tired of living in a state that doesn’t value us. This is why we voted for independence, and these reasons today, they are still more alive than ever,” he concluded.
Featured image:
Image: Protestors demand independence for Catalonia on the eighth anniversary of their independence referendum.
Author: Lili Fairclough
Featured with permission.
