Aliança Catalana stars (without being there) in the offering to Rafael Casanova

BarcelonaIt is customary for Aliança Catalana to skip the traditional floral offering at the monument in honor of Rafael Casanova, the last Chief Councilor of Barcelona who fought in 1714, because the pro-independence far-right prefers to pay homage to General Josep Moragues, a hero of the War of the Spanish Succession whom Philip V decapitated to display his head for twelve years at the Portal del Mar, as a warning to the Catalans. But the absence of Sílvia Orriols in the center of Barcelona has not prevented her party from being the protagonist in the speeches of political groups, entities, and unions.

Despite having only one mayoralty –Ripoll– and two deputies in Parliament, the polls predict a dazzling growth of Aliança Catalana that is conditioning the political debate in the country. The rise of the far-right is the great danger pointed out by both the Government and the traditional pro-independence parties. The baton of the speech given by the president, Salvador Illa, this Wednesday has been taken up by the executive spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque. She dressed up as Josep Pla to defend the Catalonia of "well-done work" and, afterward, spoke of a land "without exclusions." For this reason, she insisted on the defense of "coexistence."

The President of the Parliament, the Junts member Josep Rull, drove the point home even further: he defended the "nation of welcome and integration" and highlighted the figure of Paco Candel, adding that "hope is more powerful than fear." His defense of "the unity" of a country of "8 million Catalans" was significant, in line with the message that his political father, Jordi Pujol, sent to Catalunya Ràdio, where he claimed the Diada as a celebration "both for those who have just arrived and for those from the 30s of the last century." The Secretary-General of Junts, Jordi Turull, also launched an implicit message to Aliança Catalana: "Let us not turn the revolt of smiles into the revolution of hate." However, he focused on criticizing Illa for his government action, which causes "the nation to unravel" and "fosters polarization." It is not the first time that the Junts members have accused the socialists of inflating Aliança Catalana, which, in turn, takes votes away from classical sovereignism and, especially, from Junts.

ERC has also lashed out at the "reactionaries" of Aliança Catalana, who "belittle" the country, but has also taken the opportunity to censure the executive, which "governs Catalonia like any other community" from a position of "weakness" and "without national ambition," despite defending the new financing model agreed upon between republicans and socialists as a path for growth for Catalonia.

Even the major unions, UGT and Comissions Obreres, have followed the same line of thought: they have stated that "the national construction of Catalonia is inseparable from the fight against racism" and have called for not voting for the far-right. The most forceful has been Òmnium, both in the offering and in its own subsequent event. Its president, Xavier Antich, has called for fighting "the monsters" of the far-right of Aliança Catalana, which "spreads like the plague" and represents the great "crossroads" that Catalonia faces as a country. The leader of Comuns in Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, and the Minister of Culture and leader of Sumar, Ernest Urtasun, have also warned that they will not allow "any extremist to come and issue certificates of 'Catalanness'" or start "building walls between Catalans." There has also been a call for unity from pro-independence entities, such as the ANC, and for the defense of the Catalan language, such as Plataforma per la Llengua.

Tanks everywhere

A few years ago, the Ronda de Sant Pere in Barcelona had been packed with Catalans who wanted to enjoy the Diada, but now, even if they wanted to, they couldn't, because the Mossos restrict access early in the morning to the Rafael Casanova monument. The deployment of fences blocking the path means that the citizens' expression—clapping, whistling, or singing—is increasingly complicated to see and hear. This is what Rosaura, Joan, and Mercè, from Barcelona and Sabadell, complain about, as they can barely see anything. It is easier to follow it on television. Beyond the demobilization, which already explained why the first Diada of Salvador Illa was marked by the absence of jeering unlike in the Pere Aragonès era, the police barriers have blurred the day. These are security reasons, according to the Catalan police, who already had to intervene this Wednesday to avoid a pitched battle at the Fossar de les Moreres, where dozens of Aliança Catalana supporters and hundreds of pro-independence left-wing militants gathered.