After the success of the Catalan independence movement rally on the Diada of September 11th, a new appointment is approaching: October 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and the organizers, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), have a three-day plan ready to activate the pro-independence grassroots. Thus, the start of October will see the second part of the cycle of mobilizations that began on September 11th, under the same slogan: "Let's fight and win independence."
The objectives
The pro-independence ONG has spelled out the political objectives it wants to achieve: first, "to vindicate the referendum of October 1st, 2017, as a collective victory against the Spanish state". Next, to recognize the role of the broader Catalan-speaking countries, "and in particular Northern Catalonia", the Catalan-speaking territory north of the French border "which made possible the acquisition and distribution of ballot boxes". The final goals, says the ANC statement, is "to pay tribute to the people facing retaliation" - through the courts and police - as result of the 1st October and all subsequent mobilizations."
The times and locations of the events scheduled for the first three days of October 2021 have now been made public and are as follows:
Friday, October 1st
In the commemoration of a date marked by the holding of Catalonia's self-determination referendum four years ago, the events will be divided into different phases:
In the early afternoon there will be a political event at Illa (in the Rosselló county of Northern Catalonia). As noted on the ANC website, in the early afternoon there will be "a political event to vindicate the role played by this territory in the purchase, storage and distribution of the ballot boxes for the referendum."
Once the political event is over, "a column of vehicles, led by a vehicle carrying 1st October ballot boxes, will travel to Figueres," crossing the border from the French to the Spanish state. At Plaça Catalunya in Figueres, a concert will be held to conclude the day with Ginestà and Xavi Sarrià. Tickets can be purchased here.
But not all the ballot boxes that arrive at Figueres will stay there: many will then be sent to different points throughout Catalan territory, where other political events are to be held. These locations will be directly linked to the referendum - "places where there were significant attacks or where the attacks of the Spanish state were prevented through imagination and creativity", the ANC website explains.
ANC map of the Catalan-speaking lands illustrating its plans for 1st October commemoration events.
Saturday, October 2nd
The next day, three simultaneous marches will be held to "re-assert October 1st and Catalan independence." Of these, one will take place entirely within Catalonia: it will go from the Sports Pavilion of Sant Julià de Ramis - at 8am - to Aiguaviva, where a political event will take place - passing through the centre of Girona. Here's the link to register for it.
The organization emphasizes that it is providing buses for participants to return them to the starting point at Sant Julià de Ramis or to Girona once the event is over, although, they point out, it will be necessary to book for these in advance. In addition, those who have gone to the concert in Figueres will also have the option of sleeping in the local sports pavilion with a breakfast the following day.
The other two marches will begin in other parts of the Catalan-speaking lands. One is in the south: bear in mind that the Catalan speaking territories extend as far south along the Mediterranian coast as far as Murcia. This event begins just inside Castelló province in the Valencian country - starting at 2pm, in the Plaça Parroquial in the town of Vinaròs and passing through Alcanar - already in Catalonia - until it reaches La Ràpita. A political event will be held at that town's Plaça 1 d'Octubre, to begin at 9pm. Click here to register.
Again, the ANC will provide shuttle buses from 11am to 1pm to take participants from La Ràpita to Vinaròs in order to start the march.
Finally, the third march, in the west of the Catalan-speaking lands, will leave at a bright and early 6am from the Parada de l’Àngel, in the so-called Franja, the Catalan-speaking "strip" within Aragó, and will make its way to the city of Lleida passing through Alcarràs at 8 am (approximately). The political event will be held at the Escola Oficial language school in Lleida at 2pm.
ANC map of the Catalan-speaking lands illustrating its plans for 2nd October.
Sunday, October 3rd
Finally, on the morning of October 3rd, an event will be held in the city of Barcelona which will aim to "reunite all the organizations that made possible the events of October 3rd [2017]".
Main image: Demonstration on an anniversary of the 1st October referendum / Sergi Alcázar