The entity is organizing an act of protest in the morning and supports the afternoon demonstration against the presence of the Spanish government

Òmnium Cultural expresses its objection to the celebration of the Council of Ministers of the Spanish government this Friday in Barcelona. The entity considers it to be a provocation because there are several representatives of Catalan civil society and politics who have been unjustly imprisoned for a year, while the government of Pedro Sanchez has done nothing to remedy this situation and de-escalate the conflict.

Furthermore, this council is being held on the first anniversary of the election to the Catalan Parliament that was imposed by the government of Mariano Rajoy after he suspended Catalan self-governance with the support of Ciudadanos and the Socialist Party. The vote was held without full democratic guarantees, since several of the candidates were either in prison or in exile, while others participated in the election campaign while being threatened with imprisonment. Despite this scenario, pro-independence parties retained their parliamentary majority. Nevertheless, financial control over the Catalan government has not been lifted and there are constant threats of taking control of the Catalan police or re-establishing direct rule over Catalonia.

The Council of Ministers and the reaction of Òmnium Cultural

Òmnium Cultural believes that the Spanish government is creating a fake narrative of violence regarding the protests against the Council of Ministers. The Socialist government is expected to send a thousand national and paramilitary policemen despite knowing that self-determination demonstrations are, and always have been, peaceful. It is worth remembering that these are the same police corps that attacked those Catalan citizens that participated in the October 1, 2017 referendum.

Òmnium Cultural also laments that the Council of Ministers will be taking place in Barcelona while the political leaders of the self-determination movement remain in prison, and with a Socialist government that has not lessened its judicial repression, since the State Attorney has kept the charges – including the charge of rebellion – against the 18 individuals who will be tried by the Supreme Court. “It is intolerable that the Spanish government does not immediately put an end to the ongoing repression of civil society and the curtailment of civil, social, and political rights”, says the president of Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, from Lledoners prison.

In response to the presence of the Spanish government in Barcelona, Òmnium Cultural calls for peaceful citizens’ mobilizations. The entity will be holding a people’s Council of Ministers in front of Barcelona’s Estació de França train station, near the Llotja de Mar, where the Sánchez government will be meeting. It will be a political act that will start at 11 a.m. and in which several Catalan civil society organizations will participate. Òmnium Cultural also supports and will be joining the unitary demonstration that will begin at 6 p.m. in Jardinets de Gràcia.