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Llibertat! – Saoirse! No.7
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per Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
Correu-e: catalansolidarity@hotmail.com (no verificat!)
Adreça: http://www.catalansolidarity.blogspot.com/ |
18 abr 2007
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E-news service of the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
April/May 2007 E-news service No.7 |
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1. Introduction
2. 300 Years of Occupation - 300 Years of Resistance!
3. Catalan Solidarity: Celebrating 300 Years Of Resistance Abroad
4. Freedom For Nuria!
5. Spanish Repression Against Catalan Social Movements
6. Who We Are!
7. Subscription Details
1. INTRODUCTION
This is the e-news service of the year of Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee titled Llibertat! – Saoirse!
This e-news service is distributed throughout Ireland to both political and community activists and others interested parties such as prisoner and anti-repressive organisations across Scotland, England and Wales who have subscribed as a gesture of solidarity with issues surrounding Catalonia and its struggle for self-determination.
As a contact or subscriber, you can assist the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee by distributing the news and information published within Llibertat! – Saoirse!
Inform friends/supporters of our regular mail-out and how to subscribe.
Thanks to all those who have assisted the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee by forwarding comments of support and solidarity.
2. 300 Years of Occupation - 300 Years of Resistance!
This year marks the 300th anniversary of the occupation of the Catalan Countries by the Spanish State following the battle of Almansa in 1707. This date cannot be easily forgotten as both the national and social oppression by the Spanish State over the Catalan Countries still continues.
Likewise, we can not forget one part of our country, Northern Catalonia, which has been occupied for more than 300 years by the French State.
In spite of the historical significance of 2007 our country’s occupation was not completed until 1715 when Mallorca fell. The Catalan Countries’ occupation lasted so long due to the wave of popular resistance.
We find evidence of that resistance in the continuation to date of the independentist movement which, in spite of years of torture, war, dictatorship, imprisonment and exile, has stood firmly against Spanish occupation challenging the economical and socio-political order established upon the Catalan people.
This is why we celebrate the “300 years of occupation- 300 years of resistance� campaign. We invite all organisations to keep on defending our language and our culture from Spanish bullying impositions. We invite all associations which work daily to transmit the historical truth lived within the Catalan Countries. We invite all the people who want take a stand to end with 300 years of occupation to participate in showing our refusal to this economical and national colonization. We won’t be silenced in front of the injustices committed against our people. We shall only stop when we are free!
300 Years of Occupation - 300 Years of Resistance!
Catalan Countries, April 2007
3. Catalan Solidarity: Celebrating 300 Years Of Resistance
As part of the campaign, Catalan activists in Ireland intend to mark Celebration 300 Years Of Resistance by organizing a series of events this coming July in Derry. Plans are ready underway that will focus on areas such as:
• Language and culture: insight into the actual circumstances of both Catalan and Gaelic in each country: what strategies and campaigns are there for the language defense, conservation, to promote its social use, etc. Traditions of both countries such as sports, dance and music.
• Defense of the Land: raising awareness about how it affects mass tourism in our countries regarding culture annihilation, destruction of the environment, housing speculation, etc. What tactics are being used to challenge this phenomenon, and resulting rebel actions such as squatting in Catalonia and on similar struggles of campaigning in Ireland.
• Repression: insight into both Governments’ illegal measures towards political opposition and activists. Political prisoners and their struggle. Solidarity at home and abroad.
• Struggle for the Right of Self-Determination and Sovereignty of the Catalan Countries: talk, photographic exhibition and video
• Concert involving a Catalan band and a Gaelic speaking band
• Painting of a mural relating to Catalan-Ireland solidarity/300 Years of Resistance.
If you would like to assist directly in any of the above events or simply wish to be keep informed then we ask you to email the Catalan Solidarity Ireland Committee:
catalansolidarity ARROBA hotmail.com
4. Freedom For Nuria!
Nuria Portulas who is a Catalan citizen was arrested on February 7th 2007.
She spent 2 days in solitary confinement under the anti-terrorist law, following which, she gave evidence in court. Thereafter the judge ordered that she would remain in custody to await trial for charges of collaboration with an armed group (she could spend up to 4 years in jail without trial).
Her only crime was to express her solidarity with other anarchists imprisoned and the possession of some anarchist leaflets.
Every week there is a rally in various places demanding her freedom.
This is another example of the Spanish State's repression against any form of political opposition.
more info: http://elsud.org/nuri/
5. Spanish Repression Against Catalan Social Movements
After 30 years from the beginning of the “democratic� regime, the Spanish state still doesn’t accept the dissident voices, using every kind of repression against them. Methods such as torture, lies and criminalisation are used nowadays by the Spanish institutions.
In Catalonia there are a lot of examples of this state violence. The Spanish police forces (Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil) have been accused of all kinds of abuse of power. In recent years, a new police brigade is being introduced in the northern area of Catalonia. It is Mossos d’Esquadra, described by the Spanish State as a Catalan police force, at the mercy of the Catalan autonomous government, who is at the same time, at the mercy of the Spanish government.
This new police force, started out in 2003, arresting three people from a small Catalan village called Torà , under the anti-terrorist laws. One of the arrested, Jordi Vilaseca, was hospitalized after five days of solitary confinement in a police station.
During that period, Jordi was beaten and drugged by the officers. The torture of Jordi Vilaseca was proven fact due to detailed medical analysis in the hospital, which reported amphetamines in his blood ingested for sure during several days of detention by the ‘Catalan’ police. Following that, Jordi and the other two arrested during this time, were jailed in a Madrid Prison, over 620 km. away from his home town. After two months, the families had pay €30.000 to the government for their bail bond for temporary release. The three people, who are still on bail are currently waiting a trial date to be set by the Spanish high courts.
At the same time, Jordi has since reported the various levels of tortures which he had suffered at the hands of the ‘Catalan’ police, has since decided to take it to court.
Finally, the judge’s consideration has confirmed twice that there is not enough evidence of tortures (!), saying that is not necessary to still investigate what happened during their arrest. No police officers involved in Jordi’s case has been questioned or interrogated and it looks like there’s no possibility of finding out just who was involved in torturing Jordi.
This practice is used very often by the Spanish institutions, which still adhere to the line that “torture is a thing of the past�. However lots of organizations such as Amnesty International, Alerta Solidà ria or OSPDH (organization that belongs to University of Barcelona) report that torture is widespread in police stations and prisons throughout the Spanish state. Such acts of torture is being systematically silenced by the mass media, in spite of case’s such as what happened to Jordi, there is evidence available that can’t be ignored.
The Spanish State Torture & Murder!
Freedom for Jordi from Torà ! Stop the Torture!
Freedom for all Catalan Political Prisoners!
6. WHO WE ARE: Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee was established to provide practical support and solidarity to Catalan political prisoners, their supporters as well as information on the continuing struggle for self determination and socialism in Catalonia to challenge the media portrayal on political militants that are being fuelled by a regime, its media, its paramilitary forces, and mounting repressive laws and legislations.
In order to assist these goals we have established an online news and information service to comment on the current political situation within Catalonia, from within the prisons and on the streets.
As part of our work we aim to provide information events, pickets and solidarity protests etc to highlight various campaigns and activities and to raise awareness of the political situation in Catalonia.
We urge both Catalans living in Ireland and other non-Catalans across Ireland to write to Catalan Political Prisoners, offering them both continued solidarity and support.
We intend to issue regular news, comments & activities via email by Llibertat! – Saoirse!
At present our website is under construction however, we hope that our work will inspire you to find out more!
To view our website: http://www.catalansolidarity.blogspot.com/
7. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
Llibertat! – Saoirse!
E-news service of the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
To obtain this regular eservice Llibertat! – Saoirse!, forward “SUBSCRIBE� to the following e-mail: catalansolidarity ARROBA hotmail.com
To unsubscribe to Llibertat! – Saoirse! please send email entitled "UNSUBCRIBE" to the following email: catalansolidarity ARROBA hotmail.com
All text is anti-copy right, please republish – please distribute! |
This work is in the public domain |
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Re: Llibertat! – Saoirse! No.7
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per cat |
18 abr 2007
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en català siusplau! sembla mentida... hipòcrites... no volem ni castellà ni anglès! MORI LLENGÜES COLONIALISTES I IMPERIALISTES! |
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Re: Llibertat! – Saoirse! No.7
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per pallús |
19 abr 2007
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pallús! si està en altres idiomes és per fer que el missatge arribi a gent de fora per tal de que aquesta es solidaritzi amb el tema. Si ho poses tot en català no ho entendria ni cristo. |
