Anti-Independence rally against Catalunya Radio September 27, 2017 – Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Matthias Oesterle/PA Images. All rights reserved.There are plenty of potential reasons for criticising the current Catalan drive for independence, labelled for want of a better word the Procés, or process. Some of its core supporters seem in a hyper-excited world of their own where the practical issues of forming an independent state are disregarded with happy abandon. Its political drivers are a mixed bag of pro-independence parties with a slim majority of seats in the Catalan Parliament, won with 48% of the popular vote. The bill to authorise a ‘binding’ referendum on independence on the coming 1st October is a mess, passed in an emergency debate playing fast and loose with parliamentary procedures and offering inadequate democratic guarantees. Above all, the independentistes have not engaged nearly enough with the more-or-less half of the Catalan population who are less enthusiastic or actively opposed to independence, particularly in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, and whose involvement would be essential if – and this is a big if – an independent Catalonia were ever to become a functioning society.
But. This cannot be stated without also noting the sheer mental poverty of the approach taken on this issue by the Spanish central government and a large part of Spain’s political, intellectual and media establishment. It needs to be pointed out and repeated that the Procés has been overwhelmingly non-violent. The movement has focussed on elections, popular consultation and the right to vote, and has used peaceful means throughout, political campaigning, votes in the Catalan parliament, mass demonstrations in a festive atmosphere, adroit and witty use of social media. There has been no Catalan terrorism (the only such micro-groups disbanded years ago).
The Procés has been overwhelmingly non-violent. The movement has focussed on elections, popular consultation and the right to vote, and has used peaceful means throughout.
