'Diada' de Catalunya: Brussels' 'funny fountain' and Man City mark regional day, which loses supporters in Barcelona
Thursday, September 13, 2018 @ 2:49 PM
CATALUNYA'S regional day brought its usual colourful wall-to-wall march through Barcelona and nods to the north-eastern territory's culture and history among its expats worldwide – but this year was one of the least-supported in the current decade as those who are not in favour of independence felt unrepresented.
Annual 'Catalunya Pride' has long been a mere patriotic celebration and, for the past 17 years, an uplifting antidote to the sombre global spirit that reigns on the same date, now September 11 has become synonymous with New York's devastating World Trade Centre attacks.
But organisers this year say only around 200,000 took part – about the same number as in 2017, barely three weeks before the disputed October 1 referendum, and just a fifth of the crowd size seen in 2014.
For the first time ever, the Catalunya socialist party, or PSC – the regional affiliate of the reigning central government socialist or PSOE party – did not attend, and neither did the mayoress of Barcelona, where most of the action happens.
Like most of the marchers, Ada Colau of the left-wing party En Comú Podem wore a yellow loop in support of the so-called 'political prisoners', or regional officials held in custody for their role in organising the referendum, but did not attend the march as she is 'not a secessionist'.
Sra Colau has long argued in favour of a non-binding referendum and open, uncensored discussion between Catalunya's and Spain's governments as being the only way to bridge the gap between the separatists and those who, like her, want Catalunya to remain part of the mother country.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com