Three major Catalan political parties and ANC join forces in rally for independence

The ANC [Catalan National Assembly], Convergència, ERC, and the CUP joined forces in a rally in favor of independence in Sabadell

Josep Rull (CDC), Oriol Junqueras (ERC) and Quim Arrufat (CUP) defended independence with explanatory speeches aimed at convincing the undecided

by Oriol March in Sabadell, originally published on 23 May 2013 in Ara.cat

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC), CDC, ERC, and the CUP displayed pro-independence unity on Tuesday in a rally in Sabadell that was centered on explaining the reasons for an independent state to an audience of believers and from whom the speakers explicitly asked for support in broadening the majority in favor of independence. With the slogan, “2014: Let's make it possible”, the president of the ANC, Carme Forcadell, encouraged a joining of forces and criticized the oppressive attitude of the Spanish state.

Josep Rull, Organizational Secretary of the CDC, called for “asking for the moon”, using a phrase from poet Joan Maragall, and asked the pro-independence listeners to “appeal to people’s hearts” in order to convince them of the advantages of an independent state.

The president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, called for “loving each other” as a way of achieving independence through the votes of the undecided. He specifically called on people who had been members of the PSUC, CCOO, and PSC in order to increase the numbers in favor of a “Yes” vote. “There is one thing that is more important than being pro-independence, and that is loving people,” stated Junqueras in his speech.

The member of parliament from the CUP, Quim Arrufat stated that Spain “builds walls and steals all that it can” and at the same time demanded that Catalonia “get rid of” the wall of “bankers, insults, and prejudices”. He also asked that people spread pro-independence feeling with “smiles”.

Dolors Camats, the national coordinator for ICV was slated to appear as well, but declined at the last minute because it was a purely pro-independence rally. Teresa Mira, also an eco-socialist, assured the crowd that ICV “is walking this path very slowly” but that it will serve as the “sweeper car” gathering stragglers in favor of a “Yes” vote.

Before Rull, Junqueras, Arrufat, and Forcadell took the stage, there were presentations by Montserrat Chacón (the ANC representative in Sabadell), Patrícia Gabancho (journalist and writer), Isona Passola (film producer), and Mercè Conesa, mayor of Sant Cugat and representative of the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI). That organization's president, Josep Maria Vila d'Abadal was not able to appear because of scheduling issues.

One of the most applauded speeches of the night came from actress Montserrat Carulla who opened with her traditional “I am Catalan, I am an actress, and I am in favor of independence” and who accused Franco of trying to dilute Catalonia with Spanish immigration during the years of his dictatorship.