The demonstration will take place at the Spanish Consulate on 1 October
A DEMONSTRATION OF SOLIDARITY with the people of Catalonia has been announced by the Radical Independence Campaign, following the Spanish Government’s attempts to quash Catalonia’s upcoming independence referendum.
The demonstration will take place at 1pm on 1 October, the same day as the Catalan referendum, outside the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh.
Following the declaration by Madrid’s Constitutional Court that the proposed referendum is illegal, the Spanish Government has responded to the planned vote by seizing control of the finances of Catalonia, Spain’s richest region. This is the first time since the death of fascist dictator General Francisco Franco that the Spanish state has taken such action.
This follows threats of legal action against pro-independence Catalan politicians by the Spanish government, the shutting down of the referendum website, and the seizing of 1.3 m pro-independence campaign materials by Spain’s paramilitary national police force, which has also been dispatched to destroy ballot papers.
“The situation is escalating – no state can be allowed to act like Spain is.” RIC activist Jonathon Shafi
Jonathon Shafi, Radical Independence Campaign member and co-founder of the New Foreign Policy think tank, told CommonSpace: “We want to see that all kinds of actions take place – from social media to the streets – to show solidarity with Catalonia and to stand up against the repression of the Spanish state.
“It is now a matter for all democrats and must be met with an international response. The situation is escalating – no state can be allowed to act like Spain is.
“We need a concerted effort at diplomatic and extra-parliamentary level to force them to stand down in the name of democracy and the right to self-determination.”
“All peoples have the right to self-determination and to choose the form of government best suited to their needs.” Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs Fiona Hyslop
The announcement of the demonstration is the latest act of solidarity with Catalonia by the Scottish independence movement. Members of SNP Youth will travel to Catalonia to show support for the planned independence referendum on 28 September, along with members of Plaid Cymru Infanc (youth).
READ MORE: SNP Youth delegation will head to Catalonia before independence referendum
The Scottish Government also intervened, with Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs Fiona Hyslop saying in a public statement: “The decision over Catalonia’s future direction is a matter for the people who live there, and the Catalan and Spanish Governments are perfectly entitled to take positions for and against independence.
“However, all peoples have the right to self-determination and to choose the form of government best suited to their needs, a principle which is enshrined in the UN Charter.”
Picture courtesy of Global Panorama
Look at how important CommonSpace has become, and how vital it is for the future #SupportAReporter