A demonstration is being called for Sant Jordi to denounce the decline of Catalan.

BarcelonaA new civic platform called Sant Jordi por la Lengua has called a demonstration for Sant Jordi to protest the decline of Catalan in the streets. The platform, led by members of the pro-independence left, has created a manifesto that has already been endorsed by some thirty organizations, including Òmnium Cultural, Plataforma por la Lengua, the ANC (National Association of Catalan Workers), and the Renters' Union. In the text, the platform notes that "Catalan is experiencing an unprecedented historical decline" and laments that living fully in Catalan today is "utopian in commerce, healthcare, education, film, and justice." To combat this situation, Sant Jordi por la Lengua has called a demonstration on April 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Barcelona's Plaza Universidad.

The platform attributes the loss of the language's presence in the Catalan capital to the city's economic model, "based on real estate speculation and tourism." "The postcard-perfect Barcelona created by major events has become a powerful machine for crushing culture and language, favoring the assimilation policy promoted by Spain," they say. The demonstration seeks to demand "the implementation of bold measures to promote Catalan in all areas, pursue linguistic discrimination, and allocate all necessary resources to meet the demand for Catalan language training." Among the thirty entities that have signed the manifesto—which is open to new members—are CIEMEN, the Irídia Center, the LGTBI Call, Intersindical, CGT Enseñanza, USTEC, the Unit Against Fascism and Racism, and the Palestinian Community.

The precedent of 1985

The call for a rally on Sant Jordi's Day draws on the historical precedent of the Sant Jordi demonstration in 1985. Forty years ago, Spanish police stormed Barcelona's Ramblas to suppress the march. "The action caused injuries among protesters, stallholders, and strollers and caused great damage," the platform recalls. With the demonstration scheduled for April 23, the platform points out that "the situation of the language has only worsened" since then and demands "the right to live fully in Catalan."

In the last Survey of Linguistic Uses of the Population (EULP), The use of Catalan as a primary language fell to 32.6%, fourteen points lower than twenty years ago. The decline affects all age groups, but especially those between 30 and 44, among whom only one in four speak it. The age group that saw the greatest decline was young people (15-29 years old), who lost six points to 29%.