Catalonia referendum

Tractors roll into Barcelona to support vote

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41439787

29.09.2017, Catalonia

Last Friday, there were a pile of tractors with the lone-star flag of Catalan independence standing up for Sunday’s banned referendum. The Spanish government wants to stop the referendum because it says is unconstitutional.

Catalonia has demanded a referendum on independence since 2010. There is a law that says all the autonomous communities can declare its liberty.

Tractoradas had been the centre of attention today. It could also been saw in Girona and Tarragona. The objective is to impede police officers to close the polling stations.

The police have orders from the state to confiscate all referendum materials and to prevent public buildings being used as polling stations. Nevertheless, teachers and students are organizing to keep them open for the vote, using coded messages on social media.

Hundreds of teachers and students made a manifestation on the streets to make clear to the Spanish government that Catalonia will vote. Besides, it has been set up a website so people can see which schools are open for the vote.

The Spanish government is opposed to the vote and will deploy thousands of national police officers to stop the vote and to guarantee Spanish sovereignty.

What’s more, the European Union said the referendum was illegal but they will work towards a political solution to solve the problem.

Catalans have its rights and can choose the future of their nation. We should all vote on Sunday because the future of a nation is up to us. I don’t declare myself independent and I think Catalans are the ones that must choose for Catalonia. As I learned in History, Catalonia has demanded independence since lots of years ago and there has been also a Catalan Republic. This one will be the second Catalan Republic, if the voting goes well. If the nation has success and gets the independence I wish the best to Catalonia and I hope there will not be political problems between countries and I also hope there will be free movement across the continent.