The presidents of pro-independence organisations ANC (Catalan National Assembly) and Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, have called for "more serenity than ever, more courage than ever", in Cuixart's words and "unity, civility and trust in ourselves", to quote Sànchez. The two leaders had recorded video messages in case the National Audience decided to imprison them, as happened this Monday.
The ANC posted a version of Sànchez's video with English subtitles to their Twitter feed. He concludes: "I know it's a decision that can make many people angry, it also makes me angry, but freedom is either complete or doesn't exist. The National Audience has decided to deprive us of our freedom, but on 1st October we all decided to open the doors to freedom and win it."
On October 1 we all decided to open the doors to freedom and win it! #LlibertatJordis pic.twitter.com/Juc46ndteG
— Assemblea Nacional (@assemblea) 16 octobre 2017
Cuixart, meanwhile, says: "we already suspected, and today we have another piece of evidence, that the [Spanish] state's repression would have no limits in trying to stop this democratic wave that we're experiencing in Catalonia. I want to tell you that it's more important than ever that we're calm and aware of the significance of the historical moment we're living through (...). If needs be, we will go back to working clandestinely, and with the profound conviction in our peaceful and democratic roots that have always characterised us as an entity. They've told us many times that we wouldn't be able to vote and we've done it (...). As such, now they will tell us that we can't create this new state. I ask you, please, that even though the leaders or representatives of some of the pro-independence entities are deprived of our liberty, continue working in an organised way. And above us, let's never lose hope."