6 de set. 2018

"Provocation", by Joan Pere Le Bihan

Below is a translation (by MS) of an article by Joan-Pere Le Bihan, "LA PROVOCACIÓ (eina indispensable d’Espanya)", published in L'Unilteral on September 5 2018. I hope the author and paper don't mind (if they like they can use the text too!).


**** Click on "Més informació" to access the whole article, if need be *****


PROVOCATION (an indispensable tool for Spain)

BY Joan-Pere Le Bihan
September 5, 2018
۞Joan Pere Le Bihan

Since the demonstrations of 2010, 2012 and thereafter, the movement for the independence of Catalonia has been characterized by its massive and peaceful, even pacifist, nature. The Ministers of the Interior have endured, with the citizens, the keeping of social peace. Even the most massive demonstrations (up to 2 million people out of a population of 7·5!) have shown their civic nature: not a scrap of litter on the ground ... This had never been seen!

This civility has impressed all Europe and the world.

For years the various elections have been giving an absolute majority to the pro-independence parties... The 1 October referendum would have taken place calmly and peacefully but for the brutal intervention of the Spanish police against voters (including elderly people!) that wanted to put their voting slip inside the ballot box in accordance with the Parliamentary majority's programme. Police violence was pronounced especially in the morning... Curiously at midday, violence diminished... It transpired, much later, that Frau MERKEL had called the Spanish president saying she did not plan to tolerate violence against the population.

After the (illegal) application of Article 155 (with the exile of the president and a few ministers, as well as the imprisonment of the vice-president, the other ministers and the Jordis, the Spanish prime minister summoned Catalan elections (which he cannot legally do...). Result: a renewed pro-independence majority with a record turnout!

It is clear that state violence has not worked. The new Catalan executive is chaired by Quim TORRA and at the same time, in spite of his exile, by Carles PUIGDEMONT (acquitted by the Belgian and German courts while most lawyers denounce the partial nature of the Spanish judges).

Problem for Madrid: Violence does not work...

Electors are becoming more pro-independence ...

If Madrid does not act, win Barcelona wins.

If Madrid acts, Barcelona wins ...

The question for Madrid is then: How can violence be introduced into this peaceful society without being perceived (in particular in Europe) as illegitimate?

Solution: the Fascists ("fatxes")...

Against the deep injustice of the unjust imprisonment of responsable Catalan politicians social leaders, yellow ribbons have sprouted out all over Catalonia: tee-shirts, shirts, public places, buildings, fences, bridges, city halls (not always pro-independence). Faced with the "dimension of the tragedy", the politicians of Ciudadanos and the PP, famous for their "honesty", helped by some "Socialists", have organized "anti-ribbon commandos", usually masked. These "commandos" tend to act wherever, oddly enough, they are not resident, they do not think twice before insulting and assaulting (verbally or otherwise) those who hang up these "awful" symbols of the Republic and Freedom.

It seems clear that what they want is to provoke the reaction of peaceful citizens, democrats who defend freedom of expression. A few incidents have already taken place. The Catalan president has called for tolerance and civility, recalling that ideas must be defended peacefully... We have seen videos of nostalgic Francoists or Nazis that have taken part, with their "pre-constitutional" flags, summoned by parties that claim to be "centre-right"... Let us not be fooled: violence comes only from Spanish parties (by now everyone knows what methods they use to protect their interests). The Catalans, tenaciously, will keep a cool head...


Joan Pere Le Bihan (photo: L'Unilateral)


See also http://estudiscatalans.blogspot.com/2018/08/arrufat.html?m=1

Cap comentari:

Publica un comentari a l'entrada