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Catalan Declaration? The Independence That Wasn't

10/18/2017

Catalan President Puigdemont's speech was broadcast live in Parc de la Ciutadella.

It’s hard to say what will happen next in Catalunya.

A little over a week ago, the region stood ready and filled with emotion. Would Catalan President Carles Puigdemont declare independence from Spain? Would he not?

The streets were filled with protesters, and nearly every conversation one might overhear in any café... or on a random corner waiting for a traffic light... revolved around Puigdemont’s possible declaration.

Pro-Independence graffiti in Plaça Catalunya

On the night before Puigdemont's speech my husband got together for dinner with a close Catalan friend, a business owner. This man confided that as much as he was wary of Catalunya declaring its independence, he also saw a lot of hope and opportunity in the situation.

“It’s almost like leaving a stable job at the big company to go out on your own, as an entrepreneur,” his buddy Aleix* explained. “Yes, there is a lot of risk, and you don’t have the security and backing of the large company. However, there is also tremendous potential.”

From his point of view, if Catalunya seceded from Spain there could be temporary discomfort and uncertainty, but in the long term it could be a great opportunity for innovation and investment. This region has long been a motor for industry.

The idea of an independent Catalunya fills some with enthusiasm and hope.

The next day (the day of the declaration) I headed by train to Sant Cugat to pick up Soccer Dude and ferry him to his evening fútbol practice while my husband Señor Aventura met up with a group of his friends to head down to the Parc de la Ciutadella, where thousands of hopeful Catalans waited outside of the Catalan parliament building for what promised to be an historic moment.

My husband was excited to witness this incredibly unique event.

“Be careful,” I gave him an extra hug before we parted ways. “Who knows what the streets will be like tonight if he declares independence and the Spanish civil guard or federal police begin to make arrests.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured me. “It means a lot to Aleix to hear the speech in person tonight, so a group of us are going to go down together to listen to it and support him, and then we may get drinks.”

Photo from El Mundo, crowd waiting in Parc de la Ciutadella.

While Señor Aventura made his way toward the epicenter of political activity, I took the opposite route and headed out of town. The vibe in Sant Cugat, a well-heeled bedroom community twenty minutes outside of Barcelona, was decidedly calm compared to the palpable, almost electric tension within the city.

I met a dear friend for lunch, and we spent two hours analyzing the Spanish political situation in context to our own experiences in the United States (my home country) and Britain (hers).

Independence would make a large impact upon both of our families for a variety of reasons. We discussed the sudden rush of large companies to leave Catalunya, the possibility of a run on the banks, and how investments here right now are suddenly on hold.

Two apartments for sale in Barcelona, where the real estate market suddenly went flat.

“I ran into our realtor the other day,” my friend Gwen* confided as we enjoyed salad, stuffed mushrooms and chicken. “She’s the one that helped us buy our house here in Sant Cugat. I said to her, ‘You must be very busy right now, I’ve heard the real estate market is booming!’ and my realtor said, ‘Yeah, until two weeks ago. The second the independence referendum happened, sales went completely flat.”

“I completely understand that,” I nodded. “As a foreigner, I feel like I’m sitting on the outside of this thing waiting to see how it plays out before we even go to IKEA to get more furniture for the apartment. If it gets violent and there’s some kind of civil disagreement, who knows if we may need to leave for a little while until things calm down. What’s the point in spending more money in this economy if we’ll have to scrap any investments?”

“How disappointing,” we agreed, reflecting together on how happy all of our children are at school right now and how much they love their teachers this year. What a shame it would be to have to yank them out of school and fútbol in a hurry due to a regional political problem.

I consoled myself by ordering a slice of berry cheesecake.

Stress eating! (Yum!)

After lunch we headed up to school to collect our respective children. I then shuttled Soccer Dude and Little Angel to fútbol practice knowing that The Scientist (a 12 year old latchkey kid these days) was already at our apartment working with his Catalan tutor.

The buzz in the air had intensified by the time we returned to Barcelona and arrived at fútbol practice.

Fútbol parents are asked to wait in the gymnasium cafe while the children receive their training, and on this day I was quite grateful and willing to settle down at a table not far from the flat screen television on the cafe wall.

The television had been turned on and was already playing reports from local news reporters waiting down in the Plaça along with my husband and thousands of others. They were preparing for Puigdemont to speak, and interviewing people of all ages waiting to hear him declare victory and independence.

“I’ve waited all of my life for this,” said one older man in Catalan. “I will feel so proud to be part of a free and independent Catalunya.”

Fireworks erupted all over the city on the night before the declaration.

Little Angel and I sat at our table with an American friend and chatted while waiting for the speech to begin at 18:00 (six p.m.). The gymnasium cafe was already crowded with parents crowding around the television screen, and everyone seemed to be watching with great attention.

To our surprise though, about ten minutes before his speech was due to begin, the reporter announced that it had been delayed and that Carles Puigdemont would now not be speaking until 19:00 (seven p.m.)

“I wonder what that means?” I asked out loud. “Maybe they are negotiating behind the scenes with Madrid?”

“Could be,” my friend Jane nodded. “I heard that Switzerland offered today to mediate the situation.”

“That makes sense.” We settled in to wait.

Finally at ten minutes to 19:00, the screen on the wall showed the members of the Catalan parliament streaming into the empty chamber and taking their places. The buzz in the cafe around me suddenly hushed, and everyone turned their attention back to the television. It quickly became so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

Waiting for Puigdemont's speech to parliament.

Puigdemont began to speak. I struggled to keep up, as he was addressing the chamber in Catalan. Thanks to years of Italian, French and Spanish instruction I can basically catch the gist of most Catalan (which is almost like a blend of the three languages) but I’m still lost to the nuances and subtleties of dialogue.

Because of this, I wasn’t sure at first if he was declaring independence… or not.

Puigdemont spoke about the history of Catalunya and its many requests to Madrid for a free and fair election. He then discussed the recent 1 October independence referendum, citing both voter turnout and the high percentage of votes (over 90%) toward independence from Spain. He condemned the violence shown by Spanish federal police and civil guard members on the day of the election.

It seemed as though he was declaring independence. When Soccer Dude emerged from fútbol practice - exhausted, showered and very hungry - we crept out of the gymnasium cafe trying not to bother all of the other families who were still sitting, transfixed by Puigdemont’s speech and its huge implications.

Barcelona city bus at night. Photo Credit: Barcelona-Home

We boarded our bus home. Its driver was sitting at the bus stop in the dark listening intently to the speech which was playing loudly all throughout his bus.

“I really feel for that guy,” I whispered to Soccer Dude and Little Angel. “I’ll bet he would rather be at the speech in person like Daddy or watching it on TV, but he has to work instead. It’s a really big moment for his city and his country. Many businesses shut down early tonight.”

“Bummer,” Soccer Dude agreed. “You’re probably right.”

We strained to listen to the speech playing over the bus speakers, but it was even trickier to understand without being able to actually see it taking place.

Then, without warning, there was an eruption of sound that might have been applause. The bus driver turned off the radio and kept heading down the hill. A woman boarded the bus in tears. She wept angrily and spoke loudly on the telephone to a relative.

“What happened?” asked Soccer Dude. “Did he declare independence?”

“I’m honestly not sure. Let me check the news on my phone.”

Puigdemont declared independence... kind of. Hmmm...

Scanning the news, I read this quote in English from Puigdemont’s speech:

“I want to follow people’s will for Catalunya to become an independent state. We propose to suspend the effect of the independence declaration… in order to work towards putting into practice the result of the referendum. Today, we are making a gesture of responsibility in favor of dialogue.”

“Hmmm... “ I tried to explain to Soccer Dude while Little Angel hopped up and down. “Looks like he declared independence but then immediately suspended it and asked for talks with Madrid. Seems like he’s trying to straddle a fine line.”

(“Seems like he’s trying not to get arrested,” remarked my husband later that night.)

“That sounds complicated,” said Soccer Dude.

I read on. Puigdemont also said, “I am not planning any threat. Any insults. We are all responsible for this. We need to de-escalate the situation, not feed it any longer. I want to address everyone about the issue. We are all part of the same community and we need to go forward together. We will never agree on anything but we have proved many times that the only way to move forward is with democracy and peace. That requires dialogue.”

President Puigdemont signs Catalan Declaration of Independence.

Later that night, after dinner, we learned from the news that after his speech Puigdemont and the members of the Catalan parliament had gone ahead and quietly signed a declaration of independence toward the end of the meeting.

“Oh. He definitely DID declare independence,” I murmured to The Scientist. “Madrid is going to be pretty mad about that.”

“Will they use the 155?” my elder son asked with concern. “Everyone at my school was arguing today about the independence. Half of my classmates are pro-Spain and the other half are pro-Madrid.”

“Sounds like a pretty fair representation of all the people we know here,” I agreed, thinking about my own adult friends who are divided on the issue and the statistics cited by nearly every newspaper showing the region is fairly evenly split with respect to its feelings about independence.

Unity march sign, slashed... on top of independence graffiti, crossed out. Emotions high on all sides!

“What will happen now, Mom?” he asked.

“I’m honestly not sure. Article 155 is a very powerful part of the Spanish constitution that states that the government of Spain can suspend home rule of any of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities… if they feel that that region does not follow the law of the Constitution or attacks the general interests of the country as a whole. So, Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy may decide to use Article 155 and take over the government of Catalunya.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s actually never been used before! It’s an extreme measure meant for extreme situations.”

“I wonder what Rajoy will say!” remarked The Scientist, who at age 12 is becoming more and more interested in local and international politics.

These sculptures remind me of dueling politicians speaking from their baclonies...

The next day we found out the answer. We’d just arrived in Mallorca for a long weekend and my husband and I were unpacking upstairs in our AirBNB when The Scientist began to call my name from downstairs.

“Mom!” he yelled, “Mom!”

He came bounding up the stairs.

“Yes?”

“It’s Rajoy! He’s on TV, he’s going to respond to Puigdemont! Come and watch!!!”

I hurried downstairs in time to catch most of the speech with The Scientist perched on one side of me and Soccer Dude on the other.

Prime Minister Rajoy spoke in Spanish and was much more easy for me to understand. His tone was forceful but calm, and his words were reasoned but not conciliatory.

Rajoy responds to the sort-of declaration. Photo Credit EU Observer

Rajoy began by stating that two pro-independence parliamentary groups (who did not obtain a majority of votes in the last elections to the Catalan parliament) were acting against the Spanish Constitution, the law, and the will of a majority of Catalan people.

He condemned this as a provocative act designed to break the law. He denied the legality of the independence and announced that it would have zero effect upon Catalunya or Spain.

“Those who wish to separate and divide Catalonia** from Spain must know that they will not succeed,” he said, “and they are not going to do so because it is against the majority of Catalans and Spaniards as a whole. They are faced with a law and a government ready to enforce it.”

Rajoy then emphasized, “Everyone… I repeat… is subject to the law and the rulings of the courts.” He confirmed his commitment to defend Spanish democracy with “firmness, determination and with the instruments provided to us by law.”

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy gives a Monday deadline to Catalan President Carles Puigdemont.

Prime Minister Rajoy requested that President Puigdemont clarify in writing whether or not he had actually declared independence by Monday, and announced that if the independence was not renounced, Article 155 would be invoked.

Monday came and went, but Puigdemont did not clarify the political status of Catalunya. He asked instead for two months to spend in dialogue. Rajoy extended the deadline for a clear written response until Thursday (tomorrow!) but began immediately to implement Article 155.

The leaders of the two pro-independence parliamentary groups, Jordi Cuixart (Omnium) and Jordi Sànchez (ANC) were arrested on Monday and are being held without bail pending an investigation for alleged sedition.

Credit BBC News.

The Spanish High Court also banned Catalan chief of police Josep Lluís Trapero from leaving Spain and took his passport as they investigate his actions with respect to the 1 October referendum.

More arrests are expected anytime, and as of now (Wednesday morning) local papers are announcing a Spanish takeover of the Catalan government.

La Vanguardia reports that autonomy in Catalunya has been suspended.

Protests continue, and at night the banging of pots and pans on balconies of citizens pro-independence (and against Madrid) has resumed and become loud again.

For now though, the atmosphere in the city feels less charged. Unlike the powder keg of declaring independence, the Spanish takeover of the government seems to be met by most locals with a mixture of resignation, relief and disappointment.

“The referendum was historic,” my pro-Spain physical trainer remarked after the 1 October independence vote, “but ugly. This was not well done.”

“Nothing will change,” said our friend Eduard* at the school bus stop. “You'll see. Things will go back to normal.”

“A ver,” shrugged Francesc* (an independista) lifting his small son to hold him close. “Let’s see.”

"Sweet Catalunya, motherland of my heart... when you die, I die."

* Names changed to protect anonymity.
**Catalonia is Spanish spelling of Catalunya (Catalan spelling)

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Catalunya on the Verge: Declaration of Independence

10/9/2017

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Catalunya on the eve of a declaration of independence... "We are a nation. We decide."

The longer we live in Spain and the more closely I encounter the Catalan Independence movement first hand, the more I have the sense that in many ways this country is like a large, colorful, somewhat dysfunctional family. In other words it reminds me of pretty much all families, everywhere.

In American holiday movies, we often celebrate this kind of family. So many films are spun around a Christmas reunion where the weary mother slaves all morning making a huge holiday feast that at least a third of her relatives won’t eat because they are dieting, vegetarian or (like me) gluten free.

The guests who do show up on time spend at least half of dinner gossiping about wild cousin Suzy who has just gotten a mohawk or new tattoo… and who may or may not arrive at dinner late with her new boyfriend who - rumor has it - is twenty years her senior.

There is a hum of tension in the air, but also an undercurrent of connection… and dare we say it… there is a tired but abiding love.

Classic American holiday movies, often featuring dysfunctional but comedic families.

The more my husband and I talk with our Catalan friends (both the independistas and those who are pro-unity), the more we understand that their situation has a profoundly emotional flavor and seems a lot like a crazy American holiday dinner.

“Madrid just doesn’t understand us…” the independistas sigh dramatically, sort-of like your middle-aged aunt who is considering filing for divorce after 25 years of marriage. “We give and we give (money) and what does Madrid give us in return???? Nothing!”

Taxes from toll roads in Catalunya get sent to Madrid. Many other regions do not pay tolls.

“Catalunya is spoiled and unappreciative!” grumbles gruff Madrid and the rest of Spain from the opposite end of the table, a bit like a beleaguered husband. “She doesn’t realize how good she’s had it. I’ve given her autonomy and incredible opportunity. It’s not like I had an affair!”

Then he carefully cracks his knuckles and his neck.

(Madrid looks a little bit scary but the young cousins suspect he will still race around the living room and tickle them after this tense dinner has ended.)

A glimpse of elegant Madrid.

“That region needs to learn respect,” snaps Madrid’s aged mother (the Spanish Civil Guard). “She thinks she’s too good for my son!”

(I’ve actually read just this week that people in Madrid are saying that Catalunya needs a good ‘slap’ right now to knock some sense back into the territory. Yikes!)

The European Union even plays its role as the family patriarch sitting at the head of the holiday table… as Catalunya’s wealthy father-in-law who hired her years ago to work in his big, successful firm when she and his son were newly married.

The EU is listening warily to the whole divorce conversation as it unfolds, without saying much... carefully polishing his pocket watch… unsure deep-down whether to fire Catalunya if she goes ahead and files for divorce, or keep her on with the firm in spite of his son, because she’s been a brilliant worker.

The European Union, watching quietly and warily.

Despite all of the tension around the Spanish family table right now, most of our friends here in Barcelona seem to be waiting on and expecting a relatively happy ending to this episode. They are waiting for the moment in the story, perhaps, when the entire family bonds over a bittersweet memory of their ancestors who died in the Spanish Civil War. The moment when they make a toast in honor of their grandparents, shake hands and wipe tears from their eyes.

Everyone seems to anticipate an ending that is perhaps mildly disappointing for all... OR a cliffhanger where you will have to wait for the sequel to find out what happens (and the sequel is truly never very exciting).

Nobody we’ve spoken to in Catalunya seems to expect this situation to become a tragedy.

Wouldn't it be better to resolve this calmly over a glass of wine?

To our Catalan friends, this ‘independence referendum’ narrative is destined to become a family classic… or a family headache… rather than a suspenseful horror story. We really, really hope they are right!

“Eduardo seems to think nothing’s going to change,” remarked my husband after he returned from the morning drop off chat at the bus stop today. “He seemed very ‘tranquilo’ about the whole thing.”

“Is he concerned about the big banks leaving?”

“Well, that’s not really such a big deal. Nobody is losing their jobs. They’ve just changed the address of their main business operations to other territories… but business will continue as usual here.”

“What did Francesc say?”

“He wasn’t at the bus stop today… maybe his son is ill… but that other Catalan dad who works in Britain was there and he seemed quite fed up with the situation.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, he said that this has gone too far and needs to stop before things get out of control and it makes a severe impact on his homeland.”

“Well, I read that President Puigdemont plans to declare Catalan independence tomorrow! Do they think there will be a violent response?”

“So far, nobody seems too worried. I guess we’ll see!”

For today, life goes on normally in Barcelona.

As outsiders we watch and listen. We wonder privately how much further the independence movement can push its envelope before Madrid cracks down and sends in tanks and troops. Already 20 convoys of troops were sent in earlier in the week to help ‘support’ the Spanish federal police and Spanish Civil Guard who have remained in town since the October 1 referendum.

Many Catalan people support Spain's intervention and consider the Oct 1 referendum to be illegal.

Over the past seven days, while Catalan President Puigdemont and his regional government recounted and certified the official votes from the election and decided how to proceed next, we’ve definitely noticed an upswing in local sentiment for Spanish unity.

Pro-Spain demonstrators have been walking the streets clothed in Spanish flags and singing boisterously. The Catalan police (Los Mossos de Esquadra) have been protecting pro-Spain groups marching throughout the city chanting, yelling and setting off fireworks.

Pro-Unity protestors march through the streets of our neighborhood. (Photo credit -The Scientist)

At night when the independistas come out to bang their pots and pans, some neighbors are now blasting the Spanish national anthem loudly from their windows.

When we first arrived in Spain about 15 months ago, Spanish flags flew next to Catalan flags all across the city. As the Independence referendum of the 1st of October neared, those Spanish flags disappeared. Suddenly the only flags we saw flying all over the city (hanging from balconies, roofs and windows) were Catalan flags and pro-independence flags.

Pro-Independence flags hanging from Barcelona windows.

However, this week, the Spanish flags have come back and were certainly out in full-force this weekend when two massive protests (called ‘manifestacións’) in favor of Spanish unity took place in Barcelona and Madrid.

Spanish flag back in many windows and hanging from balconies.

The unity turnout was enormous, with estimates ranging from 350,000 to 1,000,000 people in attendance in Barcelona alone. Everyone was draped in Spanish flags, singing and chanting. Some people were even weeping.

On another day, the Podemos political party organized a large protest called “¿Hablamos?” (Shall We Talk?) and 10,000 protesters came to this manifestación dressed completely in white, to represent peace and conversation between the two sides.

Front page of La Vanguardia -Podemos asks for dialogue between Spanish & Catalan governments.

My friend Alba, a strong independista, confided skeptically to me over a cup of tea that Madrid has been bussing people in from outside of Catalunya to protest for unity because they could not find enough pro-Spain protesters locally. I checked this out and she was right; over 100 busses had arrived locally by Friday to bring in pro-unity demonstrators before the weekend’s massive rally.

When I mentioned this to my husband Sr. Aventura, he laughed.

“Yes, but did Alba mention that Catalunya does the exact same thing for pro-independence demonstrations? On the day two weeks ago when I had to go to the airport, all of Diagonal was shut down with an independence protest and there were endless busses lining the street that had brought independence supporters from all over Catalunya to Barcelona to demonstrate!”

“So, you’re saying the tactic sort of goes both ways?”

“Yup. It makes good press. More impressive-looking protests for the international news media.”

“Got it.”

We wonder how many of these pro-unity demonstrators came from outside of Catalunya?

Meanwhile Puigdemont presses forward with his determination (and that of his government) to make a unilateral declaration of Catalan independence. Large companies based in Barcelona continue to convene board meetings day after day and many are choosing to leave the territory based on fears of instability that may soon overtake the region after the declaration of independence.

Big banks (and lots of companies) are relocating their headquarters to other parts of Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has made it clear that Spain will NOT accept the move for independence, and reserves the right to invoke an article of the Spanish constitution that has never been used before - Article 155, the so-called ‘nuclear option’.

Article 155 is sometimes likened to an atomic bomb because it would legally allow the government of Spain to forcibly take over the current government of Catalunya and run the entire region until a new government can be elected.

“Spain is indivisible,” says Rajoy, and there is more than a small threat in those simple words.

Mariano Rajoy speaking about Catalan Referendum (Photo Credit EU Observer)

As an American raised with the pledge of allegiance, I think about the words I was taught to speak as a child - standing, with my hand over my heart:

I pledge allegiance
To the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic
For which it stands
One nation, under God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.

Spain is still a young democracy, and Rajoy has pledged to defend its Constitution.

I never thought of ‘indivisible’ as a threat before now, but I guess sometimes a threat and a promise can share the same body. My husband and I have enormous sympathy for the Catalan people and yet we also see and understand Rajoy’s point.

He is the prime minister of a democratic nation, an indivisible nation. It’s his job to keep democracy functioning, decisions of the Supreme Court followed, and elections legal.

The Catalan independence referendum of 1 October was not a legal election. It truly lacks legitimacy. Not only was it declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Spain before the vote, but the vote itself was not run cleanly. There was no independent oversight to make sure that it was run properly and votes cast correctly.

The Catalan Referendum of 1 October was emotional and exciting, but not legal.

On the day of the election the Catalan government spontaneously announced that any Catalan person could vote anywhere in the country, rather than voting in their own neighborhood where they were registered.

Thanks to this, many people were photographed voting at more than one location, more than one time!

The Spanish Police and Civil Guard also confiscated many, many boxes of votes so we will never know how those Catalan citizens may have voted. Did they vote ‘yes’? Did they vote ‘no’? It’s impossible to say.

Finally, more than half of the people in Catalunya did not even leave their homes to vote, as they were told by the government of Spain that this vote was not legal or valid. As law-abiding citizens, they stayed home.

For many people here, the Catalan Referendum meant nothing. They stayed home.

So, is it really fair to all of these citizens to be forced into an Independence for their country that they did not vote for and perhaps do not want?

“We know, we know,” nodded my independista friend Alba when I raised these concerns with her over tea. “It isn’t that we disagree. We would prefer a real, legitimate election… but we have asked for one of these for many years, and Madrid does not give it to us. So, we must now make it for ourselves.”

In 2014 there was another non-binding referendum on the same topic… rebranded a ‘participation process’ to poll the Catalan voters about their feelings around independence. The results then were not dissimilar to the results now. That poll saw 2.3 million votes cast, with 80.8% in favor of independence. Voter turnout ranged from 37 to 41%.

Three years later at last week's referendum we are told 2.2 million votes were cast, with a voter turnout of 43%. The result this time? 92% in favor of independence. So the tide has surged a bit for independence.

Large pro-independence banners hang across buildings in the Plaça Catalunya.

“From an outside point of view it seems to me that Madrid’s iron fist is causing Catalan people to become more passionate about your independence,” I remark to Alba.

“Oh yes,” she smiles with a twinkle in her eye. “We independistas smile a lot these days and say that Mariano Rajoy must be ‘muy Catalan’ because he has been the best helper to the independence movement we have had!”

Alba admits that once independence is declared tomorrow, President Puigdemont and his government may be arrested.

“It will be Madrid's huge mistake though,” she adds, “Reacting with force will unite all Catalan people behind the independence movement.” She gazes off into the distance with hope and I can see the flush of pride on her face. She appears determined; and perhaps a little naive.

“Be careful Alba,” I caution her, thinking about how much she has volunteered with the election recently. “You are a mother with a young son. He needs you.”

“Yes, this is what my mother says,” she agrees. “My mother lived during the time of Franco and she tells me that everything happening now is exactly what happened then. The events unfolded one at a time. People lost their rights one at a time. My mother is telling me to prepare to flee if we must.”

Reminders for a new generation of past civil conflicts in Spain.

I can tell that Alba is not listening much though to me, or to her mother.

“It is because I AM a mother though that I must press forward for our independence,” she whispers. “We cannot stop now. I must build a better life, with better opportunities for my child. If not now, when?”

Under the table, I grip my seat with my hands but say no more.

We will see what happens next.

Does the tree of Catalan independence have strong roots? Will it fall in the coming storm?

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Catalunya Under Siege - Eyewitness to a Referendum

10/2/2017

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Pro-Independence graffiti tagged by someone with the opposite views...

Rubber bullets? Tear gas? Striking old ladies with batons until they bleed from the head? Ripping little children out of their parents arms? Breaking women's fingers? REALLY?

One of the reasons we chose to move to Barcelona was the wonderful and pervasive feeling of peace and tranquility in this incredible metropolis.

I've spent time in lot of big cities during my life... Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, New York, Boston, Vancouver, Tijuana, London, Paris, Rome, Madrid... just to name a few.

Yet none of them have ever felt quite as safe, clean and beautiful as we have always found Barcelona to be. From my first weekend journey to Barcelona in 1995 to our official move here in 2016, I'd traveled to Barcelona at least six times before we moved here. Every single time I left with the same feeling about the city.

Exquisite Barcelona

To me, Barcelona has been a vibrant, living symbol of the very best a human life has to offer: Peace. Energy. Joy. Beauty. Excitement. Culture. Cuisine. Music. Creativity. History. Fútbol. Passion!

So if you'd told me back in June 2016 as I packed up a house full of cardboard boxes in California to move to Spain with my husband and kids that I would soon be experiencing a major terrorist attack AND living in a country flirting with civil war where local voting was met with police brutality, I would have found that very hard to believe.

Yet somehow, this is where we're at today.

Pro-independence graffiti, scribbled out.

"Mom, why can't we go to my fútbol game this afternoon?" The Scientist asked me. "It may be the last match I get to play this year, if FIFA doesn't approve me for international play. I really want to go!"

"Honey, I know. I want you to be able to play. Nobody's going to play today though... it isn't just you. The Catalan Federation has suspended all games after 2pm though because of the violence. They say they want to protect the safety of their teams, the referees and the fans."

Futbol.Cat advises its players that all games have been suspended after 2pm.

My twelve year old son's face fell. "Oh." He looked longingly out of the window toward the rainy afternoon, as we listened to police sirens blaring in the distance. "That makes sense. This is a hard day... for everybody."

"Yes, it really is." We sat in silence, glumly, thinking about the images we'd just seen on the news of an old lady getting dragged away by Spanish federal policemen in black riot gear. She looked about seventy years old and was wearing a sweater and leggings. She looked like she could be somebody's grandma.

To be clear, the federal police and civil guard committing these actions were NOT Catalan police. The Catalan police force ('Mossos d'Esquadra') mainly sat this one out. They were present at the polls but ignored most orders from Madrid and did not try to stop their fellow citizens from voting. Some Mossos wept openly as they watched peaceful citizens attempting to vote for independence; later harmed by Spanish cops.

This violence was Spain vs. Catalunya.

Credit Pablo Iglesias/Twitter, photo credit to unknown photographers (not me!)

What the heck was going on?

For readers who have never had the pleasure of traveling here, Barcelona is the capital city of Catalunya... an important and prosperous region of Spain.

Yesterday, over two million Catalan people from cities all over the region headed to the polls at local schools to vote in a referendum about whether or not Catalunya should become its own independent nation.

As in, get a divorce. Leave Spain and strike out alone! Try to join the European Union as its own country.

A large percentage of Catalan people would like to become their own sovereign nation.

In the end, 90% of those voters chose independence.

The Catalans who voted yesterday are operating on the principle of self-determination... a concept based on the ideals of equal rights and equal opportunity. According to self-determination, people have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status without any interference.

"Why do the Catalans want to divorce Spain?" my friends at home have asked in confusion. "Why aren't they happy?"

First off, not all Catalans actually feel this way. Until yesterday, the opinions here were sharply divided... about 50/50. Just as many Catalan people wanted to stay in Spain, as wanted to go.

Graffiti by someone pro-unity... "This (park) is a national zone."

Among the Catalans that are pro-independence, there are a variety of reasons to leave. For some of my Catalan friends the issue is simple and economic. Madrid takes a lot of Catalan tax money and doesn't give it back proportionately. People look around and see public roads that need fixing, public works that need completing, and they feel that isn't fair. They want their money back.

For others it is the story of a 300 year struggle going back to the 1700s, when the Bourbon monarchy ended the autonomy of the Crown of Aragon (and therefore, the autonomy of Catalonia which had been a territory of the Crown of Aragon). For hundreds of years Catalonia had operated independently. Now it had to answer to the Bourbons.

The people who feel most passionately about independence, though, are the ones who care the most about language. They want their kids raised speaking Catalan, and they want classes in school taught in Catalan. For them, language is the heart of a nation.

Students protesting for independence on our street.

In the mid-1800s there was a resurgence of interest and pride in the Catalan language and cultural traditions. Out of this 'Catalan Renaissance' came a nationalist movement, with people eager to once again have their own nation. This feeling persisted and Catalan nationalists came closest in the 1920s and early 1930s under the leadership of Francesc Macià. He was the leader of a pro-independence political party and ultimately became the head of the Catalan Republic until he died in 1933. The Catalan Republic lasted for less than 6 years from 1932 until it was crushed by General Francisco Franco in 1938.

Under Franco both the autonomy of Catalunya and the Generalitat were abolished. During Franco's nearly 40 year rule as a dictator, the Catalan people had no voice or independence and were not allowed to teach their own language to their children or pass down their cultural traditions.

When Franco died in 1975 Spain moved to restore democracy. Autonomy was restored and Catalunya has benefited greatly from autonomy ever since... but there has been this ongoing issue over language, culture and Catalan identity. It has remained a very tricky and important issue for most Catalan people.

Many Catalan people feel passionately about reclaiming their ancestral heritage for their children.

HOWEVER. Approximately three million Catalans did not vote yesterday. Mainly they stayed home from the referendum because the Spanish government stated that this was not a legitimate democratic election.

They felt that their votes would be invalid or even illegal, so why bother? No European countries had supported the referendum, or agreed to honor its results. Many other Catalans felt (at least until yesterday) some loyalty and connection to Madrid and the rest of Spain.

"We are Spain. You don't Vote! Viva Spain!"

"I didn't vote yesterday because I felt it was not a legal election that would be internationally recognized," explained our friend Eduard* this morning at the school bus stop. "That said, I do believe that Catalans deserve to vote what is in our hearts for our future. I estimate that 90% of Catalan people felt very strongly yesterday that they should have the right to vote - yes or no. Based on the violence of the Spanish Civil Guard toward the voters, I will tell you that 99.9% of the Catalan people are very angry and upset about how the Spanish police have treated our citizens."

Eduard was referring to the violent actions taken by the Spanish Police and Civil Guard yesterday toward peaceful Catalan citizens trying to vote. Some Catalans were shot in the face and head with rubber bullets; thrown down the stairs; had bones broken; and were even clubbed in the head.

El Mundo newspaper showing Civil Guard trying to separate a Catalan father from his small child.

"This is NOT Spain," agreed our other friend Francesc*, who DID vote for independence yesterday. "This is not how we act here. We are a civilized people."

Eduard frowned and shook his head. "My friend from Chile called me yesterday and said to me, 'What, is Spain becoming Venezuela now?' My friend from Finland called too. It is very concerning. For the first time, I am worried."

The independence referendum of 1 October was called many months ago by the leader of the Catalan people Carles Puigdemont, a former journalist and mayor of Girona who in 2016 was named 130th president of the Generalitat of Catalunya. He is the first-ever president of Catalunya to refuse to take an oath of loyalty to the Spanish Constitution and Spanish King Felipe VI.

Carles Puigdemont, photo from his public Twitter account

Puigdemont has not been working alone toward the goal of Catalan independence... he was placed in his role by two pro-independence groups called "Together for YES" and "CUP" (Popular Unity Candidacy). He has a large and somewhat cohesive government that has been working very hard toward the goal of Catalan independence for a long time.

If this were a romantic story of good and evil, Puigdemont's nemesis or arch-rival would easily be characterized as Mariano Rajoy. A regional president vs. the prime minister of the country! Rajoy is leader of the conservative People's Party and currently the Prime Minister of Spain.

Photo credit - Armstrong Economics

Before becoming prime minister, Rajoy was a longtime head of the Opposition party in Spain, with a strong focus on economics. He discredited socialist leaders as not understanding how to manage money and blamed them for Spain's terrible crisis during the global economic downturn. Although he campaigned on financial integrity and security, since his election Rajoy has been accused multiple times of financial corruption. He has currently been the Prime Minister since 2011.

Rajoy says that it is his duty and the duty of his government to uphold the law and 'preserve the integrity of the Spanish state'. In other words, he says he is defending democracy itself. He himself is currently the head of a minority government and it could topple if the fallout from this referendum gets bad enough.

Rajoy authorized the Spanish Civil Guard to enter Catalunya and use proportionate measures to try and nullify the Catalan referendum.

Photo Credit - AFP (The Express Tribune)

"Proportionate?" scoffs Eduard. "Proportionate is when I hit you and you hit me back. Proportionate is not hitting defenseless old women who are sitting peacefully on the ground in the head with police batons... or throwing people down the stairs!"

Catalans would not agree then, that Rajoy's actions and the actions of the police, were reasonable and peaceful.

Despite their best efforts though, the Spanish police and civil guard were not able to stop the Catalan referendum from taking place.

Not that they didn't try!!! Really hard!!! Here are some of the things the government of Spain did in the past two weeks to try to stop yesterday's vote. It's like a laundry list of oppression:

Arrested the democratically elected leaders of the Catalan regional government
Accused the Catalan leaders of a coup against the state for wanting to hold an election
Sent thousands of troops by sea to Barcelona where they were stationed in cruise ships off the port
Confiscated over 10 million ballots
Invaded the Center for Telecommunication and Information Technology to suspend services that could help people to vote online
Launched online attacks against internet voting sites and applications
Shut down more than half of all polling places using physical force
Threatened expensive tickets and prosecution for people continuing to hold the vote
Confiscated many sealed boxes of votes
Smashed up polling stations
Used violence and police brutality to threaten peaceful voters and intimidate others from voting - over 800 injuries, some of which required surgery!
Announced that the Spanish police and Civil Guard will remain in Catalunya indefinitely ('As long as is necessary')

What a terrible mistake.

From the perspective of an outsider... an American... someone from a country where violence has too often been used to solve problems, there must be a better way than this! Oppression and brutality can only lead to more anger. It will surely fan the flames of the independence movement, not snuff them out.

El Comercio says Catalan hotels kicked out 500 police and civil guard members after 1 October.

Yesterday I read an article in The Atlantic about how the Spanish Government misunderstood the independence movement. I highly, highly recommend this piece and think everyone should read it. Especially Mariano Rajoy!

Abraham Maslow once said, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."  Apparently the Spanish government felt its best tool was a military force at its disposal, and they have hammered this delicate Catalan problem with brute force rather than intelligent finesse.

This is not only terrible for Rajoy's PR (and that of Spain as a democracy) but it was so unnecessary. Six months ago I didn't know more than one or two Catalan people that truly wanted independence. They just wanted the politicians to talk and hammer out a financial compromise.

Today, Catalunya is united on the issue of independence more than perhaps ever before. That's what happens when you hurt old women and little children in front of a thousand cell phones taking video. By acting from a place of fear rather than faith in democracy, Rajoy himself has lit the match for the explosion that may ultimately shake all of Spain.

Photo Credit - CronicaViva

Our family has no skin in this game, or at least, very little of it. As Americans living abroad on a temporary basis for an exciting life adventure, it is easy to see the perspective of both sides. I truly understand why Spain wants to continue embracing Catalunya as an essential part of itself, and I also understand why much of Catalunya wants to be its own nation.

We see things from all sides, and feel for ALL of our Catalan friends.

The heartbreaking thing (as I see it from an outside perspective) is the loss of the beautiful Catalan sense of security and innocence in one single day.

We've gone from Catalan students singing, proudly waving flags and banners, handing out flowers and taking classes from civil rights leaders about non-violent protest... to shocked and angry citizens of all ages rubbing their eyes in disbelief, after witnessing soldiers from their own country attack their neighbors and friends over a peaceful vote.

After disbelief comes anger.

Independence supporters are known for handing out red flowers. (Photo Credit Pixabay)

I feel their loss keenly, this loss of innocence.

Living in Barcelona had been a breath of fresh air for our family during this past year, like a heavy mantle was lifted that we didn't even know we were sitting under. We loved living in a place where people genuinely trust the Mossos (local police), children are truly safe on the street, people of all ages felt incredibly free to protest without fear of repercussion, and two people with strongly differing political opinions could still live harmoniously in apartments side by side, proudly displaying their different flags, and yet share a coffee in the morning.

Beloved local cafe where all the locals stop.

I come from a country where we have not really had such innocence for a long time... at the very least, since the attacks on September 11, 2001. (African American friends in my country might argue that we have actually never in our history had that kind of innocence... as our country was built in large part with the blood, sweat and tears of forced labor.)

Remembrance at 9/11 Memorial (Photo Credit Pixabay)

Just a few hours ago in my own country the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history took place. My sister and her husband actually happened to be in the audience when a man in his 60s opened fire from a hotel room above the large crowd listening to country music at a open-air festival in Las Vegas. At time of writing nearly 60 people are now reported dead and more than 500 injured.

My family members were badly shaken and incredibly lucky to get out alive!

Although this is the worst mass murder in modern American history it is also the kind of headline we have become hardened to. Sadly, this kind of random, tragic violence happens in the USA all too frequently. It's almost too much to process mentally and emotionally so, often, people ignore it and go on with their day.

This kind of horrific headline is sadly common in the United States.

Yesterday I watched that same yoke descend upon the shoulders of the Catalan people I now know and love. This morning I saw the same sorrow, fear and uncertainty in their eyes that we know too well in other parts of the world.

"I don't understand it," our Catalan friends are saying. "I did not believe it could be like this. Not here." They look dazed, crushed... and angry.

President Puigdemont is on the cusp of declaring Catalan independence... perhaps within 72 hours. Madrid will surely not accept (or even acknowledge) this decision.

I fear that instead of independence we are entering a time of Catalan instability... and possibly, greater tragedy to come.

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The Adventure Awaits!

Catalan Declaration? The Independence That Wasn't

Catalunya on the Verge: Declaration of Independence

Catalunya Under Siege - Eyewitness to a Referendum

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Catalan Declaration? The Independence That Wasn't

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