Catalonia’s local governments explore joint gesture against legal actions

Far from lowering the tone surrounding the legal onslaught on Catalonia’s secession bid, Catalan pro-independence grassroots groups and local councils want to take advantage of Sunday's demonstration in support of Catalan institutions to keep up the pressure on Madrid. Following the idea of "permanent mobilization" announced by Jordi Cuixart, President of Òmnium, municipal entities are considering a joint gesture against the judicial attacks on the process, with a first date circled on the calendar: December 6th, Spain’s Constitution Day.

Although nothing has been decided yet, municipal sources approached by ARA assured that there are several actions on the table that will be debated, including organizing a symbolic opening of doors to city halls, copying the actions of Badalona on Columbus Day (Spain’s National Holiday) —as reported first by Nació Digital— or removing Spanish flags on a specific day, in a coordinated fashion.

All the options will be debated on Friday under the auspices of the Executive Committee of the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI), as explained by Neus Lloveras, its president, who at the same time warned that any decision about 6-D will be made with "maximum consensus" and "legal guarantees". This idea is also backed by Miquel Buch, President of the Catalan Association of Municipalities (ACM), who, speaking to this newspaper, warned that “we cannot ask Parliament and the Government for unity while municipalities are going their own ways".

Political parties exercise caution

The actions to be taken, then, will have to be agreed upon by all the political groups that support self-determination, from Junts pel Sí and the CUP to En Comú-Podem. ERC and the PDECat admitted that they are exploring a symbolic action for December 6th, but have no firm proposal yet. The General Coordinator of PDECat, Marta Pascal, is in favor of organizing a "massive event that brings together elected officials" rather than “grand gestures" and, above all, protecting civil servants at all times. Sources within the PDECat cite as an example the event from two years ago at the Palau de la Generalitat, in which pro-independence mayors gave their support to Artur Mas for the 9-November consultation.

Meanwhile, ERC spokesman Sergi Sabrià declined to give details of his party's strategy, after the controversy in Badalona on Spain’s National Holiday. In fact, sources from this group --which has already been cautioned-- assured that they have not yet debated the proposal to again open doors to city halls.

Although the proposal is still in its embryonic stage, Ciudadanos and the PP rushed to react to an eventual symbolic act for independence. Inés Arrimadas, leader of Ciudadanos, criticized a hypothetical opening of city halls, as it would put civil servants "between a rock and a hard place". Catalan PP leader Xavier García Albiol went even further in resorting to threats, warning that if 6-D is not observed as a public holiday, the PP will respond "harshly".