Catalan V Day transformed into an A for Anarchy
It started as a spontaneous idea that zapped quickly through social networks. Several users of Twitter and Facebook shared the image of a map where you could see the path of the V Day with the addition of a line and a circle that united around him. The result was a large A for Anarchy symbol, drawn on the center of Barcelona. From there, the humor played a key role in expanding the idea and turning it into a reality.
The Catalan anarchists oppose all States, of course, but share with the independentists a historical and present grievance , a language, and a culture they have strongly influenced.
Historical posters were retrieved and modified for the occasion, campaigns as a “normal country” were subverted “we do not want a normal country” meme, a Twitter account and a Facebook event hour by hour gained followers.
The Via Libertària group called to convert the V Day in “an A for anti-capitalism, autonomy, self-management, anti-fascism, pro abortion rights, anti-patriarchy and anti-specisme.”

Minutes before five o’clock the anarchists rushed to build their own human chain to join the Diagonal and Gran Via through six intersections Over the last few days they had invited participants to dress in white, with the hilarious tag #unaratllaperladiada or #ratllageneral, and they did.
The white t-shirts, toilet paper rolls, silver paper, and even a sheet from the Clinic Hospital, took center stage in the heart of Barcelona. Youth groups, seniors, families with children, people of all backgrounds, made up a heterogeneous space that housed a political tradition . “I think it is an important day and had to participate: as a left-libertarian this space has allowed me to make myself comfortable finding it” said a riveting woman to ‘La Directa News’ as the call was extended beyond the internet and had come through word of mouth.
“As anti-authoritarians we needed an initiative that would allow us to express skepticism with the independence process,” said a young man accompanied by his girlfriend and her daughters. There were combined messages with serious and direct statements like “because our demands have outgrown their flags” to other full of humor, even ridicule, reinventing slogans like “Neither France nor Spain but Homemade Cakes. ”
Finally, the initiative was a success because it achieved the goal of connecting the V and transform it into an A thanks to the participation of 1,742 people, according to a count by an individual member of the organization. During the action were heard slogans like “ no one can deceive to me, Convergencia Party is Spain” and other satirically surreal as “Make the monastery of Montserrat a squatted social center.”
After completing the challenge, the protesters gathered at the intersection of Aragon and closed the event with a huge white anarchy banner.
Some of the participants then went to Plaça Tetuan to participate in the Black Block anarco-independentistes groups convened every year as the Red Storm demo of the independence left.
adapted and translated from article by David Bou in La Directa… with thanks