The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) has today announced its plans for the large demonstration to be held on 11th September in Barcelona for the Diada, Catalonia's National Day. This year's demonstration is to be held in exceptional circumstances: after last year's proclamation of independence and with political prisoners and exiles. The organisers have proposed a large challenge: to fill almost 6km (3.5 miles) of Barcelona's avinguda Diagonal under the slogan Fem la República Catalana ("Let's make the Catalan Republic").
The main action this time will be a large, loud wave to run all along the avenue. At 5:14pm1, demonstrators will lower their banners and flags and fall into complete silence. Then, a firecracker will mark the start of the wave. The wave will start in section 37 of the demonstration, at carrer Castillejos, to the northeast of the city centre, and will run along to Palau Reial, to the west, in the city's Zona Universitària (University Quarter), near Barça's Camp Nou stadium. As it progresses, demonstrators will lift their flags and banners again and start shouting. The idea is to symbolise society's call to realise the mandate from the 1st October referendum.
Attendees are encouraged to register on the official website, where they will be assigned to a section of the rally. The ANC also encourage participants to wear this year's t-shirt, in coral, the colour of the cable ties used to seal the ballot boxes for the referendum. The organisation's campaigns are funded in part by sales of its t-shirts.
Unlike previous years, there will be no specific message defined by the organisers, beyond the motto. This is to also participants to freely express their own claims. They, however, suggest the main claims should be to realise the result of last year's referendum, to call for the release of the prisoners and exiles and to urge the political parties to remain united.
Photo: Carles Palacio
ANC's president, Elisenda Paluzie, called to "overflow the streets of Barcelona" and to show that "the repression won't put an end to the independence movement". "The demonstration has to be a turning point. We've made a lot of progress, but we still have to reach the summit, and for that reason we have to go back to the streets on 11th September", she said during the press conference announcing this year's plan. She also announced that it will be the first of a new series of demonstrations to continue throughout the autumn.
Translator's note: 1. Catalonia's National Day commemorates the fall of Barcelona at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. That happened on 11th September 1714, so events on 11th September often include special symbolism at 5:14pm, or 17:14 in the 24-hour clock.