Mass rally in protest against Catalonia
● Rally organisers reject Catalonia vote, label it ‘attack’ on democracy
Catalonia’s historic vote to secede from Spain was labelled “an unprecedented attack in the history of democracy” by organisers of a massive rally on Barcelona’s streets yesterday.
People in their hundreds of thousands marched through the Spanish city in a symbolic push for the country to remain united.
Banners bore the slogan “common sense for coexistence”.
The rally was free of the violent clashes that marred the vote where police tangled with those attempting to cast ballots.
Hundreds of thousands of people who want Catalonia to remain part of Spain have rallied in Barcelona just two days after separatist MPS declared independence.
Organisers of yesterday’s march said the goal was to defend Spain’s unity and reject “an unprecedented attack in the history of democracy”.
Spanish primeminister Rajoy quickly voiced his support for the rally, using social media to post “concord, peaceful coexistence and common sense, democracy and dialogue within the law”.
Leaders of rival pro-union parties from the ruling conservatives, the pro-business liberals and the socialists joined together under the slogan “we are all Catalonia, common sense for co-existence!”
Grassroots group Societat Civil Catalana called for those who oppose Catalonia breaking away to march at noon.
Demonstrators, many waving Spanish, Catalan and European Union flags, flooded a central boulevard.
The mood was festive and jubilant, with no incidents reported.
Three weeks ago, the same group organised a mass rally that brought hundreds of thousands on to Barcelona’s streets. Societat Civil Catalana president Alex Ramos said: “We have organised ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans that are no longer silent and that no longer want to be silenced.”
Members of Spain’s central government, including health minister Dolors Montserrat and Enric Millo, who is Madrid’s representative in Catalonia, also attended the rally.
Catalonia’s separatist leader, who was sacked along with his regional government on Saturday, has called for Catalans to engage in peaceful opposition to Spain’s crackdown to keep the country together.
The vote by pro-independence parliament members on Friday in favour of secession, and Madrid’s response to trigger unprecedented constitutional powers taking control of Catalan affairs, was the climax of Spain’s worst political crisis in decades. Voting in the recent referendum was marred by violence when national police clashed with people attempting to cast their ballots. Mr Rajoy has also dissolved Catalonia’s parliament and has called a new regional election for 21 December.
Spain’s foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, said Catalonia’s deposed leader would be eligible to run in the new election provided he had not been imprisoned by then.
The top politicians for prounion parties wanted to use yesterday’s rally as a launchpad for the critical elections.
COMMENT “We have organised ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans ... that no longer want to be silenced”
ALEX RAMOS
Societat Civil Catalana president