The Catalan National Day 2020 will include a virtual action under the name #XarxaIndependència and a physical mobilization in front of Spanish administration buildings in Catalonia.
Last Friday morning, the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (Catalan National Assembly), together with Òmnium Cultural and the Association of Municipalities for Independence, presented the Catalan National Day—September 11— commemoration events for 2020. This year the mobilization will be both virtual and physical, under the motto “The duty to build a better future. The right to be independent”
At the presentation press conference, the President of the Assembly, Elisenda Paluzie, stated that “this National Day will be completely different, due to the Covid-19 epidemic and the economic and social crisis that will follow it. This September 11, we want to defend that we need to have the tools of an independent state in order to face this crisis, and denounce the discrimination that Catalonia suffers in the Spanish State”.
Elisenda Paluzie assessed that in this emergency “the Catalan pro-independence movement is once again proving that it is capable of facing great challenges and difficulties, a key element in being able to face a process of national liberation”.
Ms Paluzie explained that this September 11 will include a physical mobilization—as far as the Covid-19 crisis allows—and a virtual one under the name #XarxaIndependència (Independence network). At all times, she made it clear that the organization “will adapt to the evolution of the health situation in the country and that the format of the physical mobilization may evolve.”
Assemblea’s Communications Coordinator Adrià Alsina presented the virtual mobilization for September 11, “which will consist of a web portal where users will be able to create virtual links with other people, grassroots assemblies and social ‘blocks’. All links will be illustrated on a single map.” Participation will be anonymous, and no data will be stored.
Mr. Alsina emphasized that “this is a solidarity initiative, as the money raised will be used to deal with the country’s social and economic emergency”.
The Assembly’s Mobilizations Coordinator Sònia Urpí disclosed the details of the physical mobilization. Ms. Urpí announced that “this September 11 we will demonstrate in front of different buildings of the Spanish state administration, to denounce the discrimination suffered by Catalonia”. The designated buildings will be unemployment offices, tax bureaus and social security branches.
Ms. Urpí stated that “it will be a completely decentralized mobilization. We want to avoid travel and reduce the number of people who have to leave their municipality.”
The vice-president of Òmnium Cultural Marcel Mauri and the president of the Association of Municipalities for Independence Josep Maria Cervera also took part in the press conference.