Ho tornarem a fer. We will do it again

Jordi Cuixart statement to the Spanish Supreme Court 12th June 2019: Ho tornarem a fer!

“I am political prisoner. I am here because I exercised basic civil rights…

It is true, I did call for a peaceful popular mobilisation against unfair decisions of the powers of the state. And I will do it again. Actually, I have the moral duty to do it again.  A peaceful and permanent mobilisation and never give up. Yes, peaceful protests against unfair decisions of the state are what makes a society go forward and it seems that it is what this trial wants to do is to make people stop protesting. But we are not going to stop protesting as it is the engine that allows us to advance socially. And we are forced to do this in order to allow our sons and daughters to exercise these rights in the future. And yes, we did engage in social disobedience.  In the choice between accepting the decision of the Constitutional Court or exercising civil rights we decided to exercise civil rights. I am not an expert in constitutional law as I never went to the university, but I know that when the people engages in social disobedience, we are exercising a negotiation with society.  This shouldn’t be punished legally, since it is clearly an act of responsibility and it is a useful tool for societies to advance, and I am sure that all the Spanish democrats will agree that when a group exercises civil disobedience, it is doing so in order to progress the rights of the whole society…

The problem is not civil disobedience, the problem we are facing now is civil obedience which for instance produces an ocean full of plastic or allows refugees to die in the sea or that criminalises the NGO’s helping them when trying to reach our coasts. The problem is civil obedience when the banks are bailed out by the governments while there are 600,000 evictions, or that in Catalonia which is one of the richest regions we have one in four people facing social exclusion. Really, is social disobedience the problem or is the problem social obedience if the citizenship allows these situations and inequalities to happen.

Yes, the problem is social obedience that allows democrats to be accused by the extreme-right wing in collusion with a Spanish PSOE Government; the far-right, fascists who are accusing us, the democrats, because we are defending basic values that we all share.

We will not be overcome by frustration and we will not stop fighting for the right to self-determination.  If police violence couldn’t stop defeat the thousands during the referendum on the 1st October, does anyone really believe that a court sentence will make Catalans stop fighting for the right to self-determination?  I am being tried for being the President of Òmnium Cultural. And we are all being tried for protesting, for expressing ourselves, for mobilising, for voting and I can tell you without any acrimony or arrogance and with all the serenity in the world that I am convinced that:

Ho tornarem a fer. We will do it again.”

 

[translated by Ignasi Bernat]

Comments (6)

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  1. Gordon McShean says:

    I was a young teenager escaping from Glasgow anti-nationalist authorities in 1951 when I visited Spain (hitch hiking) and was able to meet Catalonian nationalists who (briefly) introduced themselves. I was wearing my kilt, and was not surprised – after observing the gun-toting guards at the corner of almost every highway – to understand why the friendly Catalonian greetings, despite their friendly nature, were always brief! My belief in the Scottish cause was increased after returning home to Scotland. My involvement in radical matters became increased – and then I found myself having to leave Scotland permanently (my memoir RETIRED TERRORIST tells about this). I now wonder why – after so many years – we folks of Catalonia and Scotland continue to be oppressed. So many other nations have achieved freedom. What are we doing wrong?

    1. Alistair MacKichan says:

      Who has achieved freedom? Part of Indonesia broke away around 2000, after years of armed struggle. They are the only one in the last generation, I think. If we go back to the break-up of the British Empire, colonies becoming Independent, India had a bloodbath before independence: Rhodesia had a troubled time with Mao, Mao etc. There is no route to Independence without civil disobedience, and ultimately backing this up with armed resistance. UK will not let Scotland go without an armed struggle, we are too important to UK defence policy. Spain will not let Catalonia go,because of her industry, and because of the domino effect with the Basque coutnry going next.

  2. Marga says:

    Inspiring words, after 2 years preventive prison on fake charges. These social leaders are being treated like POW, kept in internment by the Spanish state, for political demonstrations, not even being politically responsable for anything. In effect, hostages for the good behaviour of independentists everywhere. Judges have consistently refused bail, one of the grounds being the fact that independentism is still predominant.

    Can you imagine, Yes leaders in jail without trial for 2 years for leading demos, and their treatment in jail depending on indy supporters bowing the knee. And Gordon, independence has not been won in Europa except in crises like civil war and breakup of the Soviet Union. Seems UK and Spain are deemed good guys and fair to their minorities. If it hadn’t been for Brexit, don’t think Sturgeon would get the time of day from the EU, frankly, just the cold shoulder that the Catalans are receiving.

    1. Alistair MacKichan says:

      Helpful realism Marga. I would be interested in your take on my reply to Gordon McShea

  3. Uno que canta says:

  4. Linda Richards says:

    He is not standing alone he has the people with him

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