The Fight for Independence in Catalonia

My first experience with the movement for Catalan Independence came in early 1993 as I was serving as a missionary in the town of Reus, just 109 kilometers southwest of Barcelona. A man approached us on the street and invited us inside his apartment. I remember his dwelling as being dark and bizarre, with partitions made out of beads, dim red lights and no windows. We quickly learned that he had no interest in what we had to share, but rather, he insisted on us translating a drafted letter into English to the newly-elected president, Bill Clinton. The letter would petition help from the United States in assisting Catalonia to secede from Spain. I don't recall all the details from that encounter, but somehow we managed to wiggle out of it.
 
One year later I found myself living in Girona, which lies just an hour from the French border, and deep within the cultural boundaries of Catalonia. Thinking nothing of it, the first day I showed up to church wearing a pin of the Spanish flag on the lapel of my suit. A well-intentioned member of the congregation came to me afterward, and spoke in a low, unassuming voice, pointing to the flag I was wearing: “If I were you, I wouldn't wear that around here.”—Enough had been said. I took it off and never wore it again. This brief conversation instilled in me the deep rift between the Catalan people and the Spanish government.
 

Catalonia has a unique language and culture.

The region of Catalonia in the northeast corner of Spain has a long and complicated history, of which I don't claim to be an expert. Over the past several hundred years, their culture has gradually diverged from the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, in a similar manner as that of Portugal. They speak their own language and have a form of government that gives them much more autonomy that other regions of Spain.
 
Still fresh in the memory of many of the older generation is the reign of General Francisco Franco, a dictator who ruled Spain with an iron fist for 40 years until the 1970's, prohibiting the use of the Catalan language and executing many who fought against him. Since his death, the culture of Catalonia has made a huge comeback, and Catalan nationalism is at an all-time high.
 

Banners in Girona support Catalan independence and freeing of political prisoners.

Recently I had the opportunity to return to this part of Spain for the first time in seventeen years. I knew that tension was high. Staying abreast of local news, I watched many videos of protests and demonstrations. On October 1, 2017, the Catalan government held a referendum on whether or not to secede from Spain. Previously, the Catalan parliament had passed legislation authorizing the referendum. In spite of efforts by national police, which included violence to stop the vote, the overwhelming majority of Catalan people supported secession. The Spanish government would not tolerate this and put a stop to it by arresting several key political figures who had promoted the illegal vote. The Catalan Parliament was dissolved and article 155 of the constitution was invoked, which imposes direct rule over Catalonia. The President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, has since fled the country and is living in exile in Belgium. He is charged with sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds. To say the least, the situation in Catalonia is very tense.
 
On the third day of our trip, we arrived at my beloved city of Girona. A medieval city that was founded by the Romans, Girona is picture-perfect, with a labyrinth of narrow streets and a massive cathedral that overlooks from a hill. It is located one hour north of Barcelona, in the heart of Catalonia.
 
One of the first things I noticed was the yellow and red-striped Catalan flag was hung everywhere—most from balconies. Some of the striped flags had a blue triangle at the side, with a white star. These represent Catalan independence. There were also many yellow ribbons hung about, some on buildings and others on lapels. These represent the political prisoners.
 

Girona is a beautiful medieval city in the heart of Catalonia.

During our first full day visiting the city, we came across what appeared to be a rally of some sort. The gathering was on a residential street, down the hill from the Monastery of Sant Pere. In spite of its proximity to the touristic area, it was far enough off the path that the only people there were of local flavor.
 
A platform with a microphone and speakers was set up in the middle of the road. Although nothing had begun yet, we could tell that something was soon to unfold. In the meantime, people visited in the street, a child kicked a soccer ball around, friends hugged and welcomed old acquaintances, and music played in the background. The atmosphere was very relaxed and jovial.
 
A banner near the platform suggested “Spanish injustice.” Other signs and t-shirts read: “La Forja, Jovent Revolucionari.” My best efforts of translation conclude that “La Forja” to be rendered as the forging ( to found, cast, mold, construct, create, establish), and “Jovent Revolucionari” as youth revolution. Wikipedia describes La Forja as a “left-wing Catalan independentist youth organization” that carries the ideology of Catalan Independence, socialism, feminism, anti-capitalism, and ecologism.
 
During our time there, two people spoke to the crowd. Both spoke in Catalan, so my understanding was a little spotty. The first man seemed more to take care of business, and talked of some of the efforts of the group. The second man, although more brief, gave a rally cry. He urged the continued support for Catalan Independence, adding, “Long-live the republic! Long-live the youth! Long-live the land!” He added that they would also fight for democracy, for socialism, against capitalism, for feminism and equality. “We will fight in defense of our land and our territory!”
 
The rally ended with loud music blaring over the speakers, people waving banners and torches, and smoke being released into the air. Those in the street danced to the music. I noticed a poster hanging from the balcony that read: “The combat continues.”
 

Rally in support of independence, held by an organization called La Forja.

The next day, I had the privilege of reuniting with some old friends who had lived in Girona their entire lives. Teo, Enric and Marta are very much Catalan, speaking the language in their home. (Teo was actually born in Andalusia, but moved to Girona after she married Enric.) We spent the entire day with them and they took us in their car to the beach at Palafrugell. We ended the day at their home in Girona, where they fed us a dinner of jamón, pork loin, tuna, roasted red peppers, cheese and olives.
 
The subject of Catalan Independence came up several times. Teo pulled out her phone and showed us pictures from the October referendum when the Spanish National Police used violence to prevent the Catalan people from voting. They were images of bloody and battered people.
 
Marta explained that one of the key issues is that Catalonia pays more in taxes than the rest of the country, yet receives fewer services considering the amount they pay. The people here are fed up. Now, the Spanish government has arrested several people connected with the rebellion. The Catalan consider them as political prisoners. Both Marta and Enric emphasized that the Catalan are peaceful people and wish to resolve this by non-violent means.
 

A few days later, our travels brought us back to Barcelona. It is interesting to note that although Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, and the center of the independence-movement, it was much less Catalan than Girona. I attribute this to the massive amount of immigration over the past several decades, especially from South America and Africa. There are still flags and signs that display local patriotism, but not nearly in the quantity that we saw in Girona. Also, at least in the area we visited, I didn't hear the Catalan language spoken as much as I did further north. In Girona, it was everywhere.
 
One morning we visited Montjuïc Cemetery, a massive, yet beautiful burial ground located on a prominent hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Very much off the tourist radar, it is replete with elaborate headstones, mausoleums and statues—well worth a visit, especially if you're like me and are fascinated with cemeteries.
 
Hidden in the northwest corner of the cemetery along a road that can be difficult to find is Fossar de la Pedrera, or Cemetery of the Quarry, as it is translated from Catalan. During medieval days of Barcelona this site was used as a quarry for some of the major buildings.
 
The stone cliffs that were once chiseled away are still visible, but now there is vegetation growing over the surface. The large niche in the hillside is isolated and peaceful. A vast portion of ground is covered with grass and there are memorials and a statue.
 

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, Fossar de la Pedrera was used as a burial ground for those who were executed. It is estimated that between 1939 and 1952, nearly 1,717 people were killed, most of them by firing squad at Camp de la Bota on the northeast side of Barcelona.
 
It is no wonder that the Catalan harbor such a resentment toward the Spanish government. Today there are many people who were alive when these atrocities took place, or whose family was affected. Although not as drastic, I can imagine that what is happening now is reminiscent of the political prisoners from seventy years ago, who were ultimately executed.
 
On the perimeter of the fossar is the grave of Lluís Companys. It's not your typical burial spot. It is covered by a low arch and surrounded by a pond with floating lilies.
 
Lluís Companys was President of Catalonia and was executed in 1940, not far away at Montjuïc Castle by the Franco regime. He is the only incumbent democratically elected official in European history to have been executed.
 

Statue at Fossar de la Pedrera, in the Monjuic Cemetery.

During our final evening in Barcelona, we made the trek up the other side of Montjuïc to the Magic Fountain, an amazing display of water and lights, choreographed to music. The show only plays four days a week, and only in the evenings. The vantage point from this location is magnificent. One can see the towers of Plaça d'Espanya and the old bullring, as well as most of the city, all the way to the hills near Tibidabo.
 
And there were thousands of people. I wasn't expecting so many. I guess that's what happens when a city gets overrun by tourists. There were thousands the last time I watched the water display, but that was during the 1992 Olympics.
 
Shortly before the water show began, a group of a dozen-or-so silent protesters surrounded the fountain with large posters. Each one beheld a picture of a different person, each with the caption: “Freedom. Imprisoned since October 16, 2017.” The words were in English—an obvious attempt to educate the throng of visitors. They stood in silence for about five minutes, then left.
 

Silent protest in Barcelona.

It has now been seven months since my visit to Catalonia. Occasionally I will watch the Spanish news on RTVE and the issue of Catalan Independence is still at the forefront. There have been rallies held in the streets, and some have blocked major highways in protest.
 
As a personal opinion, I don't know how this will end. Spain will fight (and I believe rightly so) any move by Catalonia to secede. They would have nothing to gain. If it were to come down to violence, Catalonia would lose, as Spain has the advantage of a military. 

But it is impossible to quell the determined voice of the Catalan. This is a showdown that has been brewing for centuries. Most of their concerns are valid. And it seems to be the trend—all over the world—that the youth are rising and making their voice heard. They want change, for better or for worse.
 
No, there is no easy solution. ♠ 

"Free Political Prisoners" reads a banner in Tarragona, Spain.