Several people have asked me about the imprisonment of two independence leaders, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart. Otherwise known as the ‘Two Jordis’

(By the way Cuixart is pronounced ‘Kwee-shart’ – just to make reading his name a bit easier.)

They are in prison without bail while being investigated for the crime of sedition.

Sedition : incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority

If found guilty they could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.

On September 20th and 21st there were massive demonstrations in Barcelona as Spanish police carried out sweeping raids and arrested officials, in an attempt to stop the proposed referendum. Sanchez and Cuixart are accused of leading the protests of those nights.

The question now being asked is, are there now political prisoners once again in Spain?  Obviously the Spanish government and their supporters say they are not political prisoners but are accused of acting illegally. The Catalan government and many others say they are in prison because of their political beliefs and they are there without bail because for political reasons the Spanish government wants to send a strong signal to the Catalans to back down.

There is also the matter of the  questionable independence of the judge who sent them to jail.  For years there has been international concern that the Spanish judiciary is far too controlled by politicians. For a democracy to function well these two powerful arms of the state need to be independent of each other.

Cuixart and Sanchez are the presidents of two civic pro-independence societies –  Omnium Cultural and ANC.  They are powerful and influential lobbies within Catalunya.  ANC formed around 2009 and has over 40.000 members. It was the chief organiser of the massive independence rally on September 11th in 2011 when more than a million people peacefully lined the streets of Barcelona. Omnium dates back to 1961 when its main focus was the protection of the Catalan language during Franco’s times. Omnium is the biggest cultural and civic association in the whole of Catalunya.

So you see both these men are very important in the current situation and their imprisonment is a very deliberate attempt to weaken the independence movement.

But of course the opposite has happened. With their incarceration, awaiting a trial, there have been even more and bigger protests and people are outraged that this is the response of the Spanish government to the crisis. Rather than try to find fair and creative solutions, more and more heavy-handed suppressive measures are being used.

I can’t think of any similar huge democratic organisations in the UK which would have such widespread and heart felt support. Would ordinary people in the UK take pots and pans to their balconies every night to make a noisy cassolada protest?  Imagine ordinary people taking to the streets day after day in the!r hundreds of thousands to peacefully protest and to call for change!   Old and young, students,  rich, poor, people from all classes. It takes a lot to keep up a protest and to have your life disrupted on a long term basis.

It takes a huge desire to be heard, an inner strength and courage even when there are threats of police violence.  And when people like the two Jordis are sent to jail without bail, for who knows how long.  They are now starting their third night in a Madrid prison called Soto de Real.

Many of the posters that hang on balconies or are taped around lamp-posts are of faces – with a line across the mouth.

People are sick and tired of being silenced and not heard.

• Pep Guardiola has dedicated the last match of Manchester City in the Champions League to The Jordis and said that it is like we are all there in prison with them
• Meanwhile back in Catalunya, there is yet another deadline. Tomorrow Rajoy wants a reply from Puigdemont about the UDI or else!

 

 

 

 

A political prisoner is someone imprisoned because they have opposed or criticized the government responsible for their imprisonment.

The term is used by persons or groups challenging the legitimacy of the detention of a prisoner. Supporters of the term define a political prisoner as someone who is imprisoned for his or her participation in political activity. If a political offense was not the official reason for the prisoner’s detention, the term would imply that the detention was motivated by the prisoner’s politics.

 

This morning I woke up worrying again. It was the day Rajoy had demanded an answer from Puigdemont. You see Rajoy hadn’t understood Puigdemont speech and still wasn’t sure if he had declared inde or not. 

He had. And then he suspended it a few seconds later. Calling for dialogue and mediation and a peaceful solution. 

But Rajoy being an authoritarian sort of fellow sent a letter asking for a yes or no answer. By Monday, at 10am by the latest. 

This morning came Puigdemont’s reply.

 ‘Let’s talk’  

Rajoy response, ‘No’ 

And he added ‘ you have till Thursday at 10am to answer me, or else’ 

What would you do in this situation? You need to talk with someone about problems and unfairness in your relationship and they refuse to speak with you or even meet you. You try and you try but after years of this intransigence you decide you must leave altogether. Then the other person wakes up to what they might lose but rather than talking with you about it, they send in the heavies to beat you up and then threaten you with prison. And refuse to let you go.

And still refuse to talk. 

What would you do? 

Puigdemont has impressed me with his calm steadiness. He’s not scared or weakened. He has courage and is mature enough to keep calm when under massive pressure. I find that I trust him. 

Rajoy is pathetic. But he controls the bullie boys, he is willing to do harm, he doesn’t want a resolution but to save his own skin with his voters. 

So what happens next? One of his judges (and Spanish judges are political animals) has imprisoned two of the leaders in the independence movement. Not yet moving in on Puigdemont, they have tried and sentenced Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez. 

That will really calm things down….not!

Tonight there were cassolades all round Catalunya. Popular protest, after dark, banging saucepans, creating a noise. Lasting about 15 minutes. It’s impressive to hear and to do. 

• There is a General Strike here in Catalunya. It was called over a week ago in support of the referendum process but since the Spanish police violence on October 1st, it is now bigger than ever in response to the horrific scenes that day and to the deafening silence of the EU leaders.
• Many of the main roads are blocked in various places causing long tailbacks. Cars are also driving very slowly in support of the strike. Those who know me will understand that this is my type of protest!  Slow driving until Catalunya becomes independent!
• People are not going to work and those that do are finding the trains and metro are on minimum service.
• People are asked not to go shopping, not to support those businesses that are breaking the strike. ‘Not even a coffee’
• There are deomonstrations all over Catalunya. Peaceful, musical, inclusive and very well supported. We are talking about everyday people of all ages. Not ‘protestors’ or ‘separatists’ as the general european media likes to describe them.
• Firefighters are protesting and calling for investigations into the police brutality. They have a big demonstration in Barcelona right now.

Continue reading →

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am in the Emporda, watching the vote in the referendum while staying with friends about 15 minutes from Figueres.

I drove Pep to the station this morning to catch an early train to Granollers.  He voted there but I don’t have a vote so wanted to take a tour of some polling stations here.

Here is the other side to the news of state violence that beat and bullied peaceful voters. This was the atmosphere that I experienced – and it is how it should have stayed if the Military police had not been ordered to intervene.

Figueres – we saw several places early in the morning with queues of people waiting patiently and peacefully to vote. The community actions to keep the voting stations open had worked. Some had not been opened by their directors and some had been closed by the police but in general most places were open and people were gathering first to vote and then to protect those votes in their boxes.

Ordis – a small village of only a few hundred people. As I drove in I noticed a four wheel drive parked near the roundabout. I wasn’t able to confirm this but I imagine this and other similar outposts were to stand guard and give warning should the Spanish police arrive.  Outside the church there were tables with food and drink and lots of people were milling about, chatting and laughing……and voting. There were children running through the quiet sunny streets calling ‘Votarem. Votarem.’

We will vote!

Borrassa -I drove about ten minutes away to the next village – much larger but still a small community. There the entrances to the main square were blocked with large hay bales. There were notices on the bales saying “Activities for children. No cars”

Inside the square there were more tables, around two hundred people, families gathering to eat and chat and to vote. They were voting in the Ajuntament.

There was music and a party atmosphere.

But a party with determination. A party with serious intent. Fun and calm but vigilant.

Two people spoke to me to ask about Zero my border collie. He is a great ice-breaker. We chatted about dogs then I moved on. I am so glad that I speak Catalan. Looking like an obvious outsider felt strange because these voting arrangements were so communal, so familial. And I can see the necessity of caution. Especially given what has happened since.

There were two Mossos – police from the Catalan force. They were standing quietly at the corner of the square and some people came to offer them something to drink and eat.

You can see them in the bottom left of the photo. There was no feeling of threat at all.

Roses is a town on the coast. I went there to see how voting was going on in a touristic area. It was hot and sunny and there were lots of visitors walking along the promenade.  Many of them probably didn’t even know there was a referendum. It is the odd thing about tourism – you spend time in a place yet rarely delve beneath the surface of sun and sand and beer.

I felt dislocated and odd. Where were the banners?  Where would people be voting?

Deeper into the town I found the Ajuntament – the council offices – acting as  a polling station.  Again Zero helped me meet people.  He attracted a little girl of about three called Valentina and I got chatting with her mother and her friend. Again the relief that I can speak Catalan even when I can’t always understand the answers. They were very emotional about voting and felt strongly that things have to change. Also sad that it has to be done in this cloak and dagger way. They stressed how much this matters to the old people – who have waited all their lives to vote and to have a chance to free Catalunya from the authoritarian rule of Spain.

Again two members of the Catalan police force – the Mossos – were just standing quietly nearby and causing no problems at all.

I was going to take a peaceful walk on the beach after this. In between visits to towns and villages I was listening to the Catalan news on the radio and more and more stories were coming through about attacks on voters by the Spanish police and threats and violence against people of all ages, who were trying to vote and to protect other voters.   It was feeling increasingly worrying and intense.  Barcelona was being hard hit.

We read of the violence against suffragette women who wanted to vote but listening to what was happening here in Catalunya brought home the huge struggle people have always had in fighting for democracy.  It is not given – it is won. And the state often reacts with violence. And others often watch in silence.

At the last moment I took the car into Sant Pere Pescador.

Following the sound of music and voices I found people voting at an old people’s home. There were crowds in the street and at the nearby bar. It was a bit more edgy and tense there but feeling very thirsty I went and ordered a beer and sat beside an older woman who was staring into the distance.  Another woman joined us and yet again Zero was the link that allowed us to start talking. By now we knew about the injuries in Barcelona and Lleida. By now we all understood what could happen here – could happen anywhere.

But they told me that they had a leader of the Mossos looking after them and that they didn’t expect trouble from the Guardia Civil – the Spanish police.

I hope they didn’t have any trouble. It is now just after 8pm and there has been a lot of trouble all over Catalunya – all from the military police who were directed by the Spanish government to stop the referendum – whatever it takes. The news is full of blood and baton charges. The Catalan people reacted with courage and songs.

People voting, laughing, eating and drinking with their families and friends. People of all ages. Children and young people. People singing and standing together to protect ballot boxes with only their vulnerable bodies for strength.

I am sad and angry.  I am ashamed of the UK government for their refusal to speak out. I am ashamed of the UK Labour party for keeping silent. I am disgusted by the EU for standing by and doing nothing.

But in the end there is one thing for sure – they said they would vote in a referendum on October 1st and in spite of all the threats and violence – that is what Catalans did today.