Catalunya declares independence. Spain suspends autonomy.

From Sandra Cortés for Antifeixistes.org in Madrid

Despite the warnings of the Spanish State against the Catalan government, the Parliament of Catalunya declared the independence of the Catalan Republic this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Senate voted in favour of applying Article 155 of the Constitution that implies suspending Catalan autonomy and enforces State rule over Catalunya from Madrid.

The measures envisaged include the control of the Parliament, the Catalan police and the public media.

These steps – unprecedented in post-fascist democratic Spain – are supported by the right-wing Popular Party, the PSOE (socialist) and the Citizens party (right). The left-wing party Podemos, however, voted against and has declared itself in favour of talks, proposing a referendum to be agreed between Spain and Catalonia.

The Catalan Parliament has now implemented the mandate of the referendum held on 1 October where the vote for independence was overwhelming. On 1 October, The Spanish government tried to stop the referendum by deploying more than 15,000 police officers to Catalunya where they violently attacked polling stations and voters and seized ballot boxes, causing more than 900 people to be injured.

Even so, the Catalans voted for independence and the Catalan Parliament approved the result of the ballot which has been rejected by the State.

Over the last few weeks, the Spanish extreme right has poured to the streets to defend the “unity of Spain”, carrying out violence in Catalonia, Valencia and Mallorca where there is also support for Catalan separatism.

The demonstrations against independence have been led by members of the PP and the PSOE but have been enthusiastically supported by all of Spain’s fascist groups, which demand the suspension of Catalan autonomy and which as we publish this report were busy attacking the HQ of Catalan Radio..

On 17 October, two representatives of the pro-independence organisations – Omnium Cultural and the National Assembly (ANC) – Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cruixart were imprisoned by order of the National Court, for sedition.