Responding to the Catalan Crisis
by Jonathon Shafi Events in Catalonia are unraveling at a dramatic pace: Catalan ministers have now been placed into custody and leader Carles Puidgemont is in Belgium. Writing from Barcelona, Jonathon Shafi, co-founder of the Radical Independence Campaign and a signatory to the newly formed Catalan Defence Committee Scotland, argues there needs to be a Europe-wide response from the left...
The present crisis in Catalonia is a moment which requires clarity, not confusion, on the European left. When the Catalans seek to hold a referendum and it's violently repressed by the Spanish Government, it’s clear who's on the side of democracy and who's not. When subsequently – after a 90% vote for independence - the Spanish Government refuses to negotiate and seeks to replace the Catalan Parliament with direct rule, including imprisoning independence supporters and threatening sedition charges against leading Catalan politicians, it’s clear who's on the side of democracy and who's not. When the Spanish Government refuses to give assurances to the Catalan Prime Minister that it will allow the Catalan Parliament to hold fresh elections without imposing direct rule, it’s clear who's on the side of democracy and who's not. And now, they are jailing the Catalan government itself. Therefore, given all of this, it logically follows that it is equally clear that the Catalan Parliament’s declaration of independence was the only option it was left with in order to protect the Catalan democracy against those who are clearly seeking to crush it. Yet it's fragile, needs support and is weakened by ongoing repression. Those on the European left who argue otherwise, that somehow there was some sort of third way for the Catalan Parliament between independence and capitulation, are in effect using sophistry against the peaceful and democratic movement for democracy in Catalonia. They are effectively siding with the Francoist Spanish Government in practice. The truth is that many have been paralysed by the situation in Catalonia, preferring to look the other way. I think there are two reasons for this. The first is that many are too blinded by....
Continued:- https://www.conter.co.uk/blog/2017/11/3/responding-to-the-catalan-crisis
