Catalan Solidarity: KNOWING THE PAST, TO WIN THE FUTURE OF THE NORTH CATALANS

Monday, November 26, 2007

KNOWING THE PAST, TO WIN THE FUTURE OF THE NORTH CATALANS

The North-Catalans already suffer the separation from the rest of the Catalan Countries which happened nearly three and a half centuries ago.

This year’s annual demonstration in Perpignan an estimated 1.000 people gathered. At the fore-front of this commemoration was the Federation for the Defense of the Catalan Language and Culture in North Catalonia, and de Coordinator of Associations for the Catalan Language (CAL).

Also in attendance was the presence of the youth Independentist organisation Maulets, who carried a banner which read: "Neither Spanish Monarchy nor French Republic", in support to the present anti-monarchic campaign throughout the Catalan Countries.

The annual speech at the end of the demonstration reminded everyone of a year of financial and social wreckage, but also a year of struggle and resistance from North Catalonia: against all the French State’s attacks on local institutions, the campaign against the MAT (Line of High Tension) and the TGV (Train of High Velocity) as well as the struggle against racism and labour conditions, which were some of the issues that marked the 2007.

You can view more on this by visiting the L’Accent website: http://www.laccent.cat/

Support that Political Prisoners receive from inside Catalonia

Catalan Solidarity has been inspired by the work of Catalan Anti-Repressive organisations such as Alerta Solidària and Rescat, who were set up with the aim of supporting Catalan people who have been imprisoned by the Spanish government for politically motivated activism. Following mass arrests and imprisonment of activists connected to the independentists and anti-fascist movements an informal collective came together to provide both practical support to prisoners and challenge the media portrayal of such individuals which had been fuelled throughout the Spanish mainland by a government, media and police conspiracy. As well as offering practical support and advice to imprisoned Catalans, their supporters and those awaiting trial, Rescat has been involved in high profile demonstrations, including those in front of the main court in Madrid where people have been judged, actions to support political prisoners who are on hunger strike and events to raise awareness of the political situation in Catalonia.