The September 11 demonstration will begin simultaneously at 17:14 in the cities of Barcelona, Tortosa and Girona, and will end with a political event in each.
The organisations Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium Cultural, Consell de la República (Council of the Republic), Intersindical and CIEMEN have presented this year’s Catalan National Day mobilisation. Under the slogan “More reasons than ever. Independence”, the rally will denounce fiscal plunder by Spain, the minority status of the Catalan language and the repeated attacks on the Catalan nation.
In a press conference that took place in Barcelona on Thursday, representatives from the six organisations highlighted the importance of unified action between pro-independence organisations to combat the grievances that Catalonia suffers from being part of Spain.
During the press conference, president of Assemblea Lluís Llach and Òmnium’s president Xavier Antich both remarked on the importance of this September 11 to reflect the sentiments of the pro-independence movement.
“This 11-S must be a cry that announces the final resurgence of our national liberation effort and a festive gathering to reignite the struggle for a free Catalonia”, said Llach, who called on the masses to take to the streets. “We have more reasons than ever, because the organisations represented here are more united than ever in summoning all people who are Catalan at heart and believe in a liberated future for our nation, to join us for Catalonia’s National Day”. In a similar way, president of Òmnium Xavier Antich called for this National Day to be turned into “the mirror of a democratic, strong, transversal, intelligent and strategically mature pro-independence Catalonia, “A movement that no longer looks to the past but to the future, and that uses the lessons of recent years to recover political intelligence”, explained Antich.
The president of the AMI, Association of Municipalities for Independence, Salvador Coll, called on the local population to fill the streets: “There is a structure that has always been by the people’s side, that has managed to listen, accompany and defend the dignity of the country in our most complex instances: this has been the local movements. Municipalism. Our town halls”.
Jordi Domingo, president of the Council of the Republic, highlighted that “the Catalan cause is a movement for the freedom of a peaceful, democratic and European nation”. In this sense, Domingo assured that this Diada is faced with a clear message: “It is time to resume the march towards victory”.
On the other hand, secretary general of trade union Intersindical-CSC, Sergi Perelló, emphasized that independence is necessary to achieve “our own social and labour relations framework, and a political framework that does not go against us, as a people, but in favour”. Perelló also called for the people to take to the streets on September 11: “Let’s mobilise for Catalonia’s National Day, to show we want to decide our future and live with dignity. Here and everywhere!”
The president of CIEMEN, David Minoves, stressed that “we need to take to the streets to stop hate speech and discrimination, and to strengthen the national fraternity that has always characterised us, while fighting the extreme right and the anti-politics that want us broken”. Likewise, Minoves defended access to learning the Catalan language and using it “for all the people who live and work in our country”.
Mobilisations in Barcelona, Girona and Tortosa
This Diada 2025 will once again be decentralised and take place simultaneously at 17:14 h (5:14 p.m.) in Barcelona, Girona and Tortosa. In the Catalan capital, the demonstration will begin in Pla de Palau, continue along Passeig de Colom, to finish in La Rambla. There will be political events in all three cities, although the central event will be in Barcelona. From Girona and Tortosa, a live connection to the Barcelona rally will enable the participants to follow the central, unitary speech of the mobilization.
“This year’s September 11 demonstration is being held in a decentralised manner because the ANC wants to strengthen the territorial networks and promote local mobilisation, after the learning experiences of 2024”, explained Assemblea’s vice-president Nohemí Zafra. She reiterated that the goal is to “give muscle to the territory” and respond to the specific demands of these areas.