Catalonia's ANC appeals to world leaders for 9-N

BarcelonaYesterday marked the anniversary of the Òmnium-led, one million-strong march that flooded Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia and nearby streets exactly four years ago. It was a social and political protest against the ruling of Spain's Constitutional Court (CC) that debased and aged Catalonia's new Statute. The motto of the rally was "We are a nation. We decide" and was called in support of the Statute that Catalans had voted but was later mutilated by the CC. However, it spontaneously turned into the most massive pro-independence demonstration ever. Political analysts saw that march as the pivotal moment when Catalonia's historically reactive political stance morphed into a celebration of the nation's will to be. Two years later, once the attempt to negotiate a fiscal pact with Madrid had failed, the newly-created ANC (Assemblea Nacional Catalana, or Catalan National Assembly) followed in on the footsteps of an already historic 10 of July and buried the old reactive mentality, taking the initiative and bringing Catalan independence right on to the political centre-stage.

Four years later, after two electoral quakes and two further massive demonstrations, the ANC has become Catalonia's main social voice and the spearhead of the nation's hope for independence. The Catalan Way's shout ("We want to vote!") paved the way for the agreement -three months later- of all the Catalan parties that support self-determination on a date and a question for the referendum. Now the ANC wants to make the upcoming National Day of September 11 a date to demonstrate the nation's determination. It's no longer a matter of saying "We want to vote". This time the events aim to be a show of the resolve to exercise the right to self-determination: "Catalans will vote on 9N".

This is the message that the ANC is looking to spread internationally, as ANC board member Núria Vinyals explained yesterday in a press conference, accompanied by her colleague Ignasi Termes and ANC's president Carme Forcadell. On September 11, they intend to form a huge human V along two of Barcelona's main intersecting roads: Gran Via and Diagonal. However, the actual motto of the big event won't be announced by the ANC until next week, together with Òmnium Cultural, the other NGO with whom the ANC is campaigning for a Yes-Yes vote on the referendum of November 9. Ms Forcadell admitted yesterday that "We shall vote" would make a good slogan. She also pointed out that, unlike in the past, "this year the big date is November 9, rather than September 11". According to Mr Termes, that is so, among other reasons, because "independence is an opportunity to build a fairer, more prosperous country".

Barack Obama, first name on list

This Saturday the ANC is kicking off in Badalona with its sights set on Catalonia's National Day and November 9. They will unfold a 15 by 30 metre banner with the picture of Barack Obama and the following message written in English: "Mr. President, Catalans vote freedom #9N2014". A second giant banner, featuring a ballot box and the message "It's time #SíSí" will also be displayed. This message to Obama will be the first in a series of appeals to international leaders of democratic nations, particulary in Europa, who will play a "key" role in the process of international recognition of a future independent Catalan country. Besides Obama's, similar banners will be displayed in various places in Catalonia on eight different weekends in order to get the attention of soon-to-be President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Parliament Martin Schultz, German Prime Minister Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Brazil's President Dilma Rouseff, Catholic Pope Francis and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredik Reinfeldt. Each banner will be written in the language of the dignitary it is addressed to. What about President Rajoy's? "He knows our objectives very well. He doesn't need a banner", argued Ms Forcadell.

But how will they ensure that the recipients get the message? The ANC's board relies on the work of the organisation's foreign chapters in order to get the attention of local media. Besides the banners, the ANC is scheduling hundreds of local and international replicas of the huge V of September 11, very like what happened last year with the Catalan Way.

With just 63 days to go before Catalonia's National Day of the Tricentenary and only 122 days to go for 9N, all systems are go.

Societat Civil Catalana, meeting in Madrid on Monday

Representatives of unionist group Societat Civil Catalana (Catalan Civil Society) will meet Spanish president Mariano Rajoy in the palace of La Moncloa next Monday. Their objective is to tell him about their project to stop the independence process in Catalonia. Their president, former PP member Josep Ramon Bosch, actually had a meeting with Catalan President Artur Mas at the end of June to ask him to change course and call off the referendum. Societat Civil Catalana were disappointed when they realised that Mr Mas had "a clear idea" of the process.