Catalan pro-independence civil group Òmnium Cultural has presented a new protest campaign focused on the forthcoming independence trial - the trial of 12 Catalan civil and political leaders on charges related to the October 1st, 2017 referendum and the independence process. The launch event, on Barcelona's Montjuïc mountain this Saturday, was opened by Catalan singer Lluís Llach, who read a letter from group's president, Jordi Cuixart, imprisoned for 460 days and one of the 12 whose trial is to begin in Spain's Supreme Court in little more than a week.
In his letter, Cuixart stated that the prisoners are not the "representation of any defeat", but on the contrary, the "useful step towards victory." The Omnium leader added that the best possible amplifier for the struggle for independence and self-determination is, indeed, the trial in Madrid.
The voice of a society
Cuixart also asserts in his letter that he will be "the voice of a society that will never renounce its freedom" and makes a fierce defense of civil disobedience in times when fundamental rights are being breached in the name of "the indissoluble unity of Spain ".
Cuixart also goes further, declaring that his goal is "not to get out of prison," but for the political conflict in Catalonia to be resolved, and he invites all Catalans to "fight together for freedom."
Campaign across Europe
At the event, Òmnium also presented the high-profile actions that the group is planning to carry out to denounce that the court case represents a "trial of democracy". In what will be the most ambitious publicity campaign that the Omnium group has ever undertaken, a series of public mobilizations will take place across Europe to protest against the violations of fundamental rights implicit in the holding of the trial. The organization will hold demonstrations at the sites of the European Commission, the UN headquarters in Geneva and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Apart from these Europe protests, Òmnium also announced over a thousand actions in Catalonia, including analyses to deconstruct the trial with assistance from legal experts, actions in support of all the families of those imprisoned, in exile or before the courts for the independence referendum case, a major communication and marketing campaign on the street, and the publication of a newspaper to explain the events to take place every day in the trial against political prisoners and thus avoid "the imposition of the narrative by the newspapers of the Ibex-35 [share index]."
Full text of Jordi Cuixart's letter
"Dear friends, partners and colleagues,
I am here, among you: 459 days in prison have made us stronger and freer, more determined. YES, today we accuse the state, we will accuse the state. We have not come to defend ourselves, because political prisoners are NOT the representation of any defeat, but the useful step towards victory. In the trial of democracy I will be your voice, the voice of a society that never renounces freedom, which defends civil disobedience when fundamental rights are violated in the name of the indissoluble unity of Spain.
The trial in Madrid is the best amplifier of our peaceful struggle for self-determination and the independence of Catalonia. Today a decisive campaign begins. In a concealed State of Exception, our response needs to be exceptional. The verdict given by the public must be unappealable.
They still make their police raids at dawn, but we have lost our fear. We are the heirs to thousands of Republicans and Anti-Franco fighters who, in much harsher circumstances, always, always maintained their dignity. As president Companys said: "History will judge all of us." Let us, then, take on the historical responsibility that corresponds to us. No verdict scares us: our priority is NOT to leave prison, but to resolve the conflict. There are not enough jails to stop so much democracy! Fighting together for freedom is the most beautiful thing we can do in life.
Hope! And have the courage to build the Republic! ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD!
Jordi Cuixart
President of Òmnium Cultural
Lledoners Prison, 18th January 2019"