Advanced Learner's Sagrada família
Cathedral the soundtrack was not of
charming bells but of banging pots and
pans on neighboring balconies this is
the traditional protest of catalonia's
independent supporters they're furious
with the Spanish cabinet deciding to
suspend the region's autonomy and impose
direct rule from Madrid out with the
forces of occupation chanted protesters
outside an office of Spain's central
government in Barcelona as the Madrid
government's intentions were made plain
I am very happy that a lot of people are
going out in the street we will not stop
do not forget that
for example the American independence
wasn't legal all independence by
definition is illegal Lally arregui a is
a member of Catalonia's regional
Parliament that voted to defy Spain not
an act outside independence is not a
lost cause
independence is more necessary than ever
people are our only weapon because we
know that is the only way to build a
society that is fair and equitable the
last time Europe witnessed a major
country breaking apart was in the early
1990s when Yugoslavia disintegrated in a
series of wars that left 20,000 dead in
Croatia and more than a hundred thousand
killed in Bosnia now those countries had
to fight for their independence
Catalonia is different it doesn't have a
standing army and as far as anyone knows
it doesn't have a secretive paramilitary
organization like the IRA
[Applause]
Catalonia's decade-long drive towards
independence has relied on the power of
peaceful public protests but it's met
total resistance from Madrid and the
European Union which doesn't want to
encourage other separatist movements in
France Italy and Belgium this week
Spain's detention of two leading
independence activists on sedition
charges fuelled Catalan anger Maria
Simon a tour guide in Barcelona is among
protesters who claim the future of
democracy is at stake it's nothing
against the country it's nothing against
our neighbors in Spain it's nothing a
bit against the people it's against
Spanish government they've crossed a red
line one two three times again we tax
much more than the rest of Spain there
is no freedom of expression nowadays
after the October first referendum
judged illegal by Spain's highest court
Carlos Bustamante head of Catalonia's
autonomous government declared
independence but he immediately
suspended the process for two months to
try to secure negotiations with the
Spanish government Madrid was resolute
there would be no discussions about
unraveling the ties that bind which
Demont is being advised by political
scientists Marx and Rome Calvet who
outlines the motivations for
independence an important aspect is
identity recognition of national
identity a second important element its
economy Catalonia is relatively a rich
region and would like to get to rise the
taxes and to get its own its own share
in its wealth there are seven and a half
million Catalan C comprise a sixth of
Spain's population the region is Spain's
most popular tourist destination with 18
million visitors every year many are
drawn to the avant-garde buildings and
their surreal rooftops designed by 19th
century architect Antoni gaudí overall
Catalonia generates nearly a fifth of
Spain's annual income
the Barcelona planes that have every
tax dollar levied by Madrid only 63
cents is reinvested in Catalonia in
particular the shortfall has negatively
impacted the region's infrastructure the
Catalan institutions have been asking
for a long time for a new arrangement
new constitutional arrangements allowing
Catalonia to be recognised as a nation
allowing Catalonia as a new financial
system and to get more powers in
international sphere the Catalan
government should show to the world that
Catalonia wants to be a country and
wants to be a partner to the other
European counties then there's the
hangover of history during the 1930s
civil war left-wing Catalonia was the
last part of Spain to fall to fascist
forces led by General Francisco Franco
an ally of Adolphe Hitler a Spain's
dictator Franco wreaked vengeance by
outlawing the Catalan language removing
cultural institutions executing
opponents and imprisoning 20,000 people
the language and civil rights were only
restored after Franco's death in 1975
but bitterness lingered current
attitudes on Spanish government remained
remained to some Catalans to this Franco
period built on such a legacy
catalonia's independence movement is
dividing friends and families Nuria
Lopez Ontiveros an English teacher and
her husband Santiago a publishing
executive have two children and are on
opposite sides of the debate we are
going rapidly towards disaster and I
feel very very powerless to stop it all
we can do is try to show the world our
will to be independent in the most
peaceful possible way
I think it's suicide you know it's
economical suicide I think it's
absolutely worth it I could love my
children to live in a world with less
barriers no more so for me independence
a break see it's the catonian
independence the box independence
movement everything that creates more
reasons to be separated conceptually
is a step backwards for me the first
thing
is respect respect towards our language
towards our culture towards our
tradition because they are being
systematically attacked and this is not
the one thing that has starting to
happen in the fact the last few weeks
this is has been happening for years
they really talk about how things are
going to be better and when I look
around I see the quality of life here is
really really good there's uncertainty
there are dangers of course there are
but I wonder what will happen to us it
will remain now at this point I'm much
more scared of that before the
referendum opinion poll suggested a
majority of Catalans like retired
geography professor Juan Antonio
Melendez favored unity with Spain muchas
Catalan is many Catalan people are so
worried they have already transferred
their assets to banks outside of
Catalonia there is a real fear of the
bank freeze this is very important for
people who have their whole life savings
old people who saved for their pension
and don't want to lose uncertainty over
how independence might affect the
economy has led to 700 companies
including Catalonia sky shisha Bank
protectively moving their registered
offices out of the region
pro-independence organizations have
urged account holders to withdraw their
money from the bank to protest student
mark Tirana was happy to have large we
want to let their banks know that we
don't agree with them taking the
headquarters are from our country just
because we want to declare independence
I'm not sure if this process is going to
I didn't take a big amount but just I
think it's just a symbolic thing despite
the hard push back on their independence
dream the secessionists refused to
believe they caused his futile and take
to the streets in their tens of
thousands Spanish government has
completely lost our respect it doesn't
have any dignity or respect they're
worse than Franco because Franco already
died a long time ago and we're supposed
to have moved on but nothing is moved on
were even worse back in the cafe husband
and wife remain at loggerheads the
people who'd really advocate for
independence they are really fearless of
the consequences and they think at
whatever cost and I don't think and I
think that happens because we have lived
in a very comfortable society and we
don't realize really what any cost means
I think that first is going to be rough
but I think that in the long run is
going to be a positive thing for all of
us if we collect our taxes not having to
share them with the rest of Spain I
think we might be better off this is
Spain's most serious political crisis in
40 years and today's developments are
certain to trigger large demonstrations
of the kind seen earlier this week the
cabinet decision has to be approved by
the Senate but with support in Madrid
across party lines that is likely this
is uncharted territory for modern Spain
and the divisions between the two sides
seem to be deepening by the hour
you
[Applause]
you