It’s just before noon. A warm, late summer Sunday in Barcelona. On corner via Leietana to Ronda de St. Pere stands Almudena Morena, in left hand a coffee mug of Starbucks, around shoulders Spanish flag, on her cheeks are painted red-yellow Spanish national colors. “I came by plane from Madrid this morning to demonstrate unity of Spain. The day of referendum was saddest day of my life. “
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This is referendum on independence of Catalonia, which Catalan regional government held on 1 October, although Spanish Constitutional Court had declared it illegal. “Spain must remain a united country,” says Almudena Morena and joins March, who is slowly moving. Before she finally says goodbye, she still shouts cheerfully: “Give me a Kiss!”
The 39-year-old slender woman is one of those people who have warned Catalan separatists before start of demonstration in social media. Countless buses full of demonstrators would carted from Madrid, among m many Spanish right-wing extremists. Well, Almudena Morena doesn’t look like a right-wing extremist, and she doesn’t even express a right-wing mind during conversation.
The breakaway opponents are supposed to look ugly and sneaky
It is only understandable that separatists are trying to make ir opponents look small, ugly and sneaky. It is a hard struggle in Spain, and it is part of problem that both sides have little to offer and are increasingly hardening. The climate has been heated up in last few days.
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The separatists had momentum on ir side. One reason for this was invisibility of many Catalans who, according to polls, are against a separation of Catalonia. They have not shown up to now. The separatists dominated streets. It was impression of being fired by images in media that majority of people were behind m. The narrative of last few weeks was: The Catalan people are fighting against a obstinate, tending to violent Spanish central government.
Since Sunday, however, separatists have lost sovereignty of interpretation. Hundreds of thousands of people went on streets in Barcelona that day to demonstrate unity of Spain. The organizers speak of a million, municipal authorities of 350,000. What information may also be more true – after that day, separatists can no longer say y speak for Catalan people.
There were certainly also extreme right-wing extremists among demonstrators. How could it be orwise in a country that had been dominated by a dictator for almost four decades? But number of extreme right-wing extremities was very low, virtually invisible in human sea. The vast majority of demonstrators went from genuine concern for future of ir country to streets. Like 66-year-old Juan Carreras, who says: “We have to stick toger, we Spaniards, we Europeans.” Or like 45-year-old Francisca Romero, who does not want her children to grow up in a small state called Catalonia. “This state would only be his plaything of great powers. We wouldn’t have any more to report. ” In march re were many flags of Europe to be seen, and on hand described posters were repeatedly read in Catalan: “We are a people!” or “Stop hatred, let’s talk!”.
The claims of separatists prove to be misjudgements
The Catalan head of government, Carles Puigdemont, probably wanted to call independence at beginning of week. Despite all warnings, he remained undeterred. But pressure grew steadily. By and by, it turned out that many of claims of separatists were extreme misperceptions. The separatists had tried to pull EU on ir sides. Vain. After referendum of 1 October, EU strengned government of Mariano Rajoy’s back. The separatists claimed that an independent Catalonia would flourish economically. But in last few days several banks and companies moved from Catalonia. It seemed like a shock. And separatists claimed that y represented majority of Catalan people – since Sunday this assertion has also vanished into thin air. Apart from fact that re were not even half of Catalans who were eligible to vote in independence referendum.
Before European and Spanish anms were played at end of rally, Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa. He warned forcefully of danger of nationalism: “We are peaceful citizens who believe in coexistence of people and will not let us be transformed by minority of separatists into a third world country!”
Next to him was former President of European Parliament, socialist and Catalan Josep Borell. He uttered a truth that will not taste separatists: “Catalonia is not Lithuania and not Kosovo. It is not a occupied and militarised country. “
Then Borell called in crowd: “We must stop inflicting harm on us. We must come back to our senses! ” For all Spaniards it’s time to stop. “It’s time for reconciliation.”
No one knows wher Carles Puigdemont will be impressed by it. But since Sunday he has been on very shaky legs.
