08.09.2016 - 22:08
The pro-independence demonstration organised by the civil society associations Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural for Catalonia’s National Day will count Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, amongst its attendants. Thus, he will be the first Catalan President to take part in any of the massive mobilisations held over the last five years on Catalonia’s National Day, since former President Artur Mas repeatedly refused to so while he was head of the Catalan executive.
“Politicians are the least important on that day, it is civil society which will play the most important role”, stated Puigdemont. The Catalan President will attend the events to be held in Salt, the closest city to Girona, where he was the mayor between 2011 and 2016. ANC and Òmnium decided to spread this year’s demonstration to five different cities; Barcelona, Berga, Lleida, Salt and Tarragona.
“Salt is where I would have gone if I were still the Mayor of Girona”, Puigdemont explained. The President’s announcement coincided with the meeting he held this morning with Jordi Sànchez, the president of the ANC and Jordi Cuixart, president of Òmnium Cultural. The grassroots organisation and the cultural association which aims to promote the Catalan language and culture are responsible for the massive pro-independence demonstrations held in Catalonia in the last five years on the 11th of September.
According to Sànchez, “Puigdemont’s decision will help other people who are still doubtful about ultimately taking part in the mobilisation”. So far, there are 300,000 people registered to attend the demonstration.
Read more: CATALAN NEWS AGENCY
