Catalonians Celebrate Independence Vote, Spain Dissolves Cabinet

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Catalonians Celebrate Independence Vote, Spain Dissolves Cabinet

October 29th, 2017

Awake Goy

People held up signs in favor of independence, but also demanding the release of the two civil society leaders imprisoned since Monday last week on sedition charges.

It was not only in the Catalan capital that pro-independence supporters looked forward to seeing their long-awaited political goal achieved. Other cities and towns around Catalonia also saw people gathering in squares to follow today’s plenary session. And when the moment finally arrived, they could not hide their happiness.

Pro-independence organizations

Representatives of the main pro-independence organizations, without their imprisoned heads, also backed Catalan institutions.

“I hope the Spanish state can begin to understand that it is absurd to keep the Jordis in prison and also to use Article 155,” said Marcel Mauri, referring to the presidents of Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, and the Catalan National Assembly, Jordi Sánchez. Mauri is Òmnium’s leader in substitution of Cuixart.

“Help the government build this republic”

“We serve the Catalan government and the Parliament and therefore our function from now on is to help the government build this republic,” said Agustí Alcoverro, Catalan National Assembly leader in substitution of Jordi Sánchez. “We hope that the people can celebrate it in a civic, peaceful and democratic way.”

The politicians eventually left the Parliament to join the cheering crowd for a celebration with one eye on Madrid, awaiting the Spanish government’s reaction.

Meanwhile, city councils and official buildings began removing the flags of a state they no longer consider themselves part of.

The Spanish president says he will close all Catalan delegations abroad except in Brussels

Sacking the full Catalan government, dissolving Parliament and calling an election on December 21. That’s the Spanish government’s answer to Catalonia’s declaration of independence. The Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy, said that he has dismissed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, Vice President Oriol Junqueras, and all ministers of the Catalan cabinet.

In a short statement from Madrid after an emergency cabinet meeting, the Spanish president announced that his government also wants to close the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) and all Catalan delegations abroad, except that of Brussels. He also insisted that the current permanent representative of the Catalan government to the EU, Amadeu Altafaj, and the delegate in Madrid, Ferran Mascarell, are also to be dismissed.