Yellow ribbons under siege

The Figueres Electoral Board yesterday gave the town councils of the Alt Empordà (particularly the Figueres city hall and county council) 48 hours to remove all banners, yellow ribbons and pro-independence flags to “guarantee the principle of political neutrality”. This decision was made because of a petition the right-wing party Ciudadanos submitted to the Central Electoral Board last March 14. Ciudadanos demanded that the necessary measures be taken to remove banners, symbols and slogans which “identify certain political parties participating in the Spanish and European parliamentary elections, as well as the local elections” from city council buildings.

There were no yellow ribbons or banners at the county council yesterday, there was only a pro-independence flag hanging from the balcony. However, a banner showing a text written in English has been hanging at the city hall in the county’s capital for some days now, it reads: “Self-determination is a right, not a crime”. Yesterday afternoon, a meeting of the mayors council was held at the Alt Empordà county council, but sources report that no agreement was reached regarding the petition. Similarly Figueres city council has made no response to the decision made by the Electoral Board as of yet.

Figueres government sources said the mandate was being consulted, but that they have no response planned. Today, the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI), presided over by the mayor of Port de la Selva, Josep Maria Cervera, is expected to make recommendations to the town councils participating in the organization.