December 7th: a date to be remembered in Brussels
This past 7th of December, 45,000 people gathered in Brussels into the Catalan pro-independence manifestation with the claim “Wake Up Europe”.
More than 12 charter flights and 100 buses arrived on December 7th from all parts of Catalonia to Brussels. It was a cold and rainy day, but 45,000 Catalonian pro independent people faced the bad weather following a route of 2.5 kilometres. People of all ages and full families started their route at Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark and passed besides the European Union buildings (with a lot of complication, because only 20,000 people were expected) before stopping at Place Jean Rey.
The manifestation was headed by the two directors of the two most important pro independent associations, Marcel Mauri for ANC (Assamblea Nacional Constitucional) and Agustí Alcoberro for OMNIUM. Together with them there were Gabriel Rufián, spokesman on the Spanish congress, and the ex-counsellor Meritxell Serret. Later on, due to security reasons, the ex-presidents Carles Puigdemont and Artur Mas followed the final section of the route.
Once in Place Jean Rey, a giant screen with loudspeakers throughout the square were awaiting the protesters to start a round of speeches by some of the most important politicians and pro activists towards the independence. It was Puigdemont who gave the final and most wanted speech of the evening. He appealed to the rights of the citizens of Europe to say no to the states who don’t respect the right of the people, addressing his final question to the president of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker: “Have you ever seen anywhere else in the world such a demonstration to support criminals?”. In that moment, the crowd shouted together “You aren’t alone” to the senior officials of the Generalitat who are exiled in Brussels.
Because the manifestation was full of symbolism. The yellow color could be seen in the clothes of the people, especially in the scarves. Marta, accompanied by her children, explained us in French that “the meaning of the yellow color is democracy and freedom of expression, as well as freedom for political prisoners”. Prisoners like the Catalan firefighters who with their hands mangled wanted to represent the impotence they felt on October 1st when they were positioned against the Spanish Civil Guard, tells us one of them. Later on that day they all went to give blood, and for that reason the Manneken Pis was dressed as a Catalan fireman.
There were letters deposited in the portals of houses with messages like “The Catalan Rebublic is in debt with you” in Dutch and French. Lots of banners claiming “Europe, wake up! Let’s protect democracy!”, “Dignity of democracy is democracy of dignity” and “Shame on you” were shown by the protesters, and there were even music groups with drums and wind instruments, called “txarangues” who brighten up the march.
Finally, the Catalan flag consisting in four red stripes between a yellow background was waving the wind. But not only this one, also other flags of regions like Flanders here in Belgium, the Basque Country, an Atlantic northern region of Spain, with its flag named “Ikurriña”, or even Veneto, the most ancient region of Italy localized at the north of this country with its main city in Venice.
Veneto people said that they are “supporting the freedom of speech of the Catalans”, complaining that “they can be the first of too many in a list of sovereign countries”. A group of Catalan people who live in Holland for 25 years told us on perfect Dutch that “It’s awful that in 2017 there is such a crisis like this in Europe”. Lots of people who I’ve talked to, like Llorenç, had the same feeling of “fighting against the Spanish government who put our government into prison” or Irene, who says that “is a shame the impassivity of the European Union”.
Finally, Inés assures that “it seems that we are at the dictatorship time, when there wasn’t freedom of speech”. Three girls from Belgium who weren’t at the manifestation were astonished of what was happening, saying that “mobilization is impressive, Catalonia has shown that can achieve what it wants” or even a bus driver, Juan, who is also Catalan but who doesn’t trust in the independence told us “I am not a separatist bit this mobilization is surprising, Catalonia deserves to be heard”.
At the other hand, I also listened a man from Madrid living in Brussels for 10 years who didn’t understand why they were doing that if anybody would listen to them.
At the end of the day, as well as the day after, almost all protesters gathered at the Grand Place, one of Brussels’s most important tourist site. The entrances were saturated and the Catalans were singing “l’Himne dels Segadors” while they contemplated the changing lights of the square. Because, after all, all of them were taking advantage of the Constitution bridge to do some tourism but in a different way, defending their ideals.
