One hundred and twenty thousand people marched to the capital city of the Spanish State. “Self-determination is not a crime”. The action was called by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Cultural Omnium with the support of organizations in the rest of Spain like EH Bildu, the National Galician Bloc, Madrid for the Right to Decide, Castilian Left, Gure Esku Dago, Altsasu Gurasoak and the Andalusian Workers Union, among others. The public workers of the Generalitat, the Parliament and leaders of the Catalan independence movement participated.
The multitude arrived in Madrid in 500 cars, buses, planes and AVEs, traveling over 600 kilometers “Estelas” (the stared and striped Catalan flag), republican, Basque, Galician, Castilian and Andalusian flags, yellow ribbons, signs and popular songs decorated a kilometer and a half of Paseo del Prado, between Atocha and Cibeles. The world media highlighted the massive turn out. The massive demand for the freedom of political prisoners and the exiled, while the self-determination echoed off the walls of the Moncloa, the Palace of Zarzuela and the Supreme Court.
The anger against the show trial was also displayed in the humor and creativity of the Catalan people alluding to the magistrates by pointing out the green Cibeles and Enric Millo´s statement on the supposed violent actions of the protesters on 1-O, by throwing detergent on the floor (the Fairy tramp) at the police. The act ended with the attendees singing L’Estaca.
There have been other massive mobilizations, like the one in Brussels with 45 thousand people, the last Diada with a million people and the one that took place a month ago with 200 thousand people. Nonetheless, 16M was a historical day against the main oppressive power, in a peaceful manner without provoking the Spanish Falanje and other fascists.
That same day was a counter march for the unity of Spain has held, and was a scandalous failure. The government of the PSOE answered through the monarchic parliamentary regime of the 78: “Inside the Constitution, everything; outside of it, nothing”.
The PP deserves a special paragraph. Through its organization secretary Javier Maroto, it has promised that with Pablo Casado in office “this won’t happen again”, meaning that they want to ban democratic participation on the streets in Catalonia.
Between the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox there is a race to see who is most right-wing. As we sang in Madrid, “they will not pass!”
The general strike and mobilization marked the path to self-determination and freedom. And 16M must mark an exemplary milestone: the deepening of the struggle for the support of the Spanish people.
The speeches pointed out the need of confronting the attack on Catalan people as part of the restriction of democratic freedoms in the entire Spanish Kingdom. They gave out fliers in Castilian, others with links about the Catalan struggle, the police violence and 1-O. It was exciting to receive the solidarity of the people of Madrid, taxi drivers honking their horns, the Galician, Basques and Andalusians among others.
In SOL we are proud of having promoted and participated this unforgettable day and internationally defending the Catalan cause through the Anticapitalist Network.