This local referendum led to a grass-roots movement which ended up organizing hundreds of similar referendums across Catalonia in the following months. The result was high voter turnout and a clear support for independence. Catalonia’s president himself voted in the referendum. He voted in favor of independence. Barcelona’s current mayor did so as well.
Last year, Arenys erected the monument and commemorated the beginning of this process with a big gathering. The second meeting is to be held this coming weekend.
The night before the Catalan national day, on September 10th, a Spanish unionist gang attacked the monument. Spanish unionists have always been linked to Fascist and Nazi groups. In the past, many Spanish unionists fought on the Russian front with the Nazi troops in the so-called Blue Division. Spanish unionists do not embrace democracy. Moreover, if they see democracy in connection to Catalonia, they think it means self-determination, and they hate it when Catalans are free to choose their own destiny. True to this logic, they painted swastikas on the monument, messages in favour of a unified Spain, and messages against independence. As usual here, those against independence use Nazi symbology.
