Speak out on Catalonia
| On 14 October nine prominent Catalan political figures were sentenced to over 100 years in jail for organising a referendum on self determination on 1 October 2017, writes the Catalan Defence Committee Scotland . They are guilty of nothing more than organising a vote that was violently suppressed by the Spanish State.
Self-determination is a fundamental civil and political right enshrined in various international law treaties to which Spain is a signatory. There has been a wave of non-violent civil disobedience in Catalonia that is part of a #TsunamiDemocratic against the actions of the Spanish State. This protest is to demand the release of ALL political prisoners and to defend democratic rights. Whether you are Yes, No, Leave or Remain, this protest is for anyone who supports the right to self determination, the right to vote free of violent repression, and who opposes the clampdown on dissent. In April 2018 the Scottish Trade Union Congress stood in solidarity with all Catalan political prisoners and called for their “immediate release and acquittal”. It also said that “threats to democracy in other European cities need to be resisted”, warning against repression becoming “normalised as a means of silencing dissent elsewhere”. Rightly, there has been cross party condemnation and criticism of the Spanish State. When he spoke out last year against the arrests Glasgow City Council deputy leader David McDonald said that “Glasgow isn’t a city that stays silent”. He said, “We are proud to stand up for those who face oppression and speak out when others have their voices suppressed.” GLASGOW PROTEST: Follow the Catalan Defence Committee Scotland here: https://www.facebook.com/CDCScotland/ |
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