“On Sunday 1 October 2017, Catalonia is due to hold a referendum with the question “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?” The Spanish state, where Rajoy’s right wing PP governs as a minority, is using all possible repressive measures to try to stop the vote. […]
Over recent weeks the Spanish state’s repressive measures have escalated from searches of print works and newspaper offices to raids on Catalan government ministries, with the arrests of 14 politicians and civil servants. They have threatened TV and radio stations for broadcasting official Catalan government information about the referendum. They have closed down or blocked 140 pro referendum web sites. They have tried to ban the solidarity meetings organised in other parts of the Spanish state; an example of a very positive, and long overdue, change on the Spanish left. They have sent perhaps 6,000 paramilitary police agents to Catalonia, with heavy duty riot gear. […]
The state repression is also encouraging the fascist organisations, which were much weakened in Catalonia, largely due to the years of work of the united antifascist movement, UCFR. Now the far right are celebrating the PP’s clampdown — something have been demanding for years — and they going onto the streets against the referendum, sometimes violently.
The broadest possible unity in the struggle against fascism will be essential in the coming months, whatever the result of the referendum.
We condemn the Spanish government’s repression —which has already been questioned by important human rights organisations— and we send our solidarity to the people in Catalonia who are so bravely facing up to it. We fully defend the right of Catalonia to decide its future in the referendum on 1 October. This must go ahead and its result must be respected.”
