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Catalan Solidarity Mural

category derry | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis author Monday July 30, 2007 14:55author by Catalan Solidarity - Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committeeauthor email catalansolidarity at hotmail dot com

Members of the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee erected a mural in Derry’s Bogside following a week of events designed to create greater awareness of the continuing fight for self-determination and independence by the people of Catalonia from 300 years of Spanish and French occupation.
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During 2007, the Catalan independence movement is commemorating the occupation of the Catalan Countries with a campaign titled: 300 Years of Occupation & Resistance.

The week long series of events in Derry ranged from musical, cultural and political discussions on continuing ‘land speculation’ as well as an historical overview of Catalan Resistance both on the streets and in the prisons. Catalan representatives also met with former Republican and Republican Socialist Political Prisoners to exchange experiences as a gesture of continuing solidarity with the Catalan struggle.

The series of events accumulated in Derry’s Bogside with the unveiling of a mural depicting unity and solidarity in struggle between both Ireland and Catalonia.

Related Link: http://www.catalansolidarity.blogspot.com

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Comments (7 of 7)

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author by Catalan Solidaritypublication date Mon Jul 30, 2007 15:00author address author phone

Catalan Solidarity

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author by -publication date Mon Jul 30, 2007 18:42author address author phone

oh yes, that will get the bourbons out.

does just what it says on the can
does just what it says on the can

Related Link: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0730/1185230139289.html
author by Ciaránpublication date Tue Jul 31, 2007 00:05author address author phone

The mural looks very well. Is that a person in the middle of the '300'? Who is it?

author by Catalan Solidaritypublication date Tue Jul 31, 2007 15:24author email catalansolidarity at hotmail dot comauthor address author phone

The image at the centre of the 300 in the mural, just as displayed in the 300 campaign logo is Philip V. He was the Spanish King who ordered the invasion of the Catalan Countries back in 1707 under the Nova Planta order twhich supressed all the rights of the Catalan people.

Moreover, the Catalan people were obligated to display this image of Philip V.

Following the death of the dictator Franco, who proclaimed the present Spanish King as head of state, it was also ordered for all institutional buildings, schools etc to display a picture of him. The fact of both kings are displayed upsidedown was a symbolic mark of protest.

Catalan Solidarity Poster
Catalan Solidarity Poster

Related Link: http://www.catalansolidarity.blogspot.com
author by mueslipublication date Tue Jul 31, 2007 15:29author address author phone

Not the current lot who are hard at work having babies, but the one who caused a great bit of the trouble - we call him "the bourbon". It was himself who allied up with the other lot on the peninsula and bavarians too attacked the noble catalans who were allied up with Brits & Dutch and holy imperial empire would you believe it. Anyway - it all began 300 years ago when the Bourbon defeated the Valencians and it ended on September 11th 1714 when yer man the Bourbon took away the Catalan privileges & imposed the beginning of a one-state and one nation solution for the hotchpotch of little kingdoms, quasi-city-states and multiple enthnicities and jealously gaurded traditions including fun things you can do with a goat or anykind of quatroped.
He looks a bit like the Stuart in the picture. (you know the really important one) That's because back in those days no-one ever really saw either the Stuart or the Bourbon they were generally talking pacifism with some great philosopher, tinkering with new clockwork or doing mainline chocolate at secret orgies. So you just gave them a big wig and a sash. Oh! the local illiterate would say - that is my enemy I will not accept gold coins for taxi-work from these people. Now before you scoff, within a century this illustrator's ruse saw great success to which I've alluded with great and typical alacrity. Quite a few wiggies and sashes were found whilst escaping France.

This year's 300 is really a big thing for the youth-wing & similar types of the ERC in modern day Valencia where they are a very small party who are all the more determined in their "pan Catalanism" because strangely enough Valencia is one of the most Spanish of regions. I suppose they are equivalent to the very British people in Antrim or a tiny left wing group of Spanish speakers in Gibraltar.

So there's a great sense of humour in the mural. all the same. parity of esteem. What if the brits had won in 1707?

author by croissant & marmaladepublication date Tue Jul 31, 2007 17:59author address author phone

Oh yes, I suppose we call it tolerance - that whilst the last Stuart was off pretending on the continent and the Act of Union of 1707 meant the beginning of a Brit army - they chose the crown of Aragon and the Catalans as their first gambit on the world stage od colonial domination. You don't see a brit flag on the Catalan nationalists slice of the western meditteranean do you? Oh no. Theyr'e All forgetful about it now. Teaming up with dutch protestants whilst we helped the hungarian rebels. They wouldn't have got a mural back then. No. For in truth the Catalans were our enemies in 1707. We my Irish friends were on the Navarrans and Castilian side along with the Hungarian rebels and Bavarians. if you don't believe me read the short and concise entry on the war of the Spanish Succession, learn about your Stuart heritage and why we've loads of Irish bars in Munich.

the war of the Spanish succession
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Spanish_Succession
the Hungarian rebels :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A1k%C3%B3czi%27s_War_...dence

never trust a Catalan to get history right.

author by special Kpublication date Tue Jul 31, 2007 19:43author address author phone

& though I realise that my last two comments might not fall on insensitive or insensible ears - I thought people might like to learn about recent Bourbon news. Zapatero as the pm of the Spanish state is called announced recently a new "cash deal" for young parents. They get 2,500eu per kiddy just as long as they've held residency for two years and you know they can spend it on whatever they want - crack cocaine or rocket launchers. Accordingly the popular Spanish state satirical magazine featured a cartoon of the young Bourbon felipe and his charming wife "at it" - with the slogan well at 2,500 a pop it will feel like I'm working for the first time in my life. Of course the fecundity of the modern Bourbons has been commented on by others before in a more gracious & respectful way. The young princes give the King his eight granchild recently, the baby Sofia who thankfully coz she's female won't upset the line of succesion thing, so Leanor might just be the first queen of Spain since the Leonor of Navarra oh----way back when they spoke arabic in Valencia and the jews sided with the muslims against the northern gothic aggressors and Catalonia wasn't even a neologism.

Anyway - out came a Spanish judge and slapped an injunction on "Jueves" the magazine and all the copies were seized. Of course by then every other newspaper had copied the photo and original copies could be bought on the internet for 1,500euros. The artists were brought to court for insulting the old Bourbons, whilst other people decried such heavyhanded reactions on the part of the rightwing judiciary which is quite honestly now what we really want to see happening now. The artists defended themselves in court saying their cartoon of Felipe and Leticia shagging doggy style reflected their place in the centre of warm affections of every young Spaniard couple of approximately the same age. Quite. It's a great position to take & they got off with a fine. This is the sort of news many pro-Catalans might have missed. Because it's about Bourbons. here's the photo http://www.vilaweb.cat/www/noticia?p_idcmp=2487904

that's of course on the umbrella site of the Catalan independence people who have nicely just got historically up to date and featured the story on Operation Banner ending and turning into Operation Helvetian Muesli. You ever make us spit it out again & it will all be very different. Enough said. No more thundering bollox. Slan Abhaile. You will go. This is just one more step.

Related Link: http://www.vilaweb.cat/www/noticia?p_idcmp=2500746

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