The mandate of the people

The people of Sant Julià de Ramis ( Gironès) affirmed yesterday what one year ago, on October1, police brutality prevented. “We have restored this day with an affirmative act, looking toward the future,” said, Mayor Marc Puigtió, highlighting the emotions of the day. The townsfolk gathered to join in a community lunch in the village hall where the polling station was located last year. It was there where the Guardia Civil prevented Carles Puigdemont from voting and the then president voted in the town of Cornellà del Terri (Pla de l’Estany).

The traditional Catalan trabucaires let off a volley of welcome from their blunderbusses, far from the interruption of the Guardia Civil last year, and this was followed by the arrival of the official ballot box marking the beginning of the vote. There was a wealth of symbolism throughout the gathering related to both the event last year and also to Catalan traditions.

At an institutional level, President Quim Torra chaired a meeting to the Govern of the Generalitat and later Mayor Puigtió read a letter aloud from former vice-President Oriol Junqueras.

President Torra’s formal address was at times interrupted by shouts from the CDRs attending reminding Torra that “our goal is the Catalan Republic and we will not be satisfied with less.” In response, Torra thanked the CDRs for their struggle and asked them to not let up on their pressure. There was also a moment when the President refered to “those friends and colleagues who are not in the front row and who should be,” in reference to those in prison and in exile. Parliamentary Speaker Roger Torrent also addressed the crowd.