More than 200 artists and personalities linked to the world of culture have joined a manifesto in support of rapper Josep Miquel Arenas, known as Valtonyc, after the Supreme Court has confirmed the sentence of three and a half years in prison, to ask his “total and complete absolution”.
Valtonyc has now been invited to more than 20 Catalan festivals in protest for the condemnation of the “Supreme” Court.
The main festivals of the Països Catalans (includes Valencia, Baleares ..) are in solidarity with the Mallorcan and include him in the programming of their next editions, opening the way for a huge freedom campaign when he cannot appear. Included is the most popular Catalan Festival Primavera Sound de Barcelona.
The ”Spanish” Borbon King was appointed by the fascist dictator Francisco Franco after murdering hundreds of thousands of people to seize power for the far right and the church and hold it, with western collaboration, for forty years.
King Juan Carlos abdicated in favour of his son, supposedly for health reasons, but amid a cloud of scandal and derision, due to the prosecution of family members for corruption, elephant hunting while honorary president of the World Wildlife Fund, etc. etc. Now the Supreme Court (appointed via the corrupt right wing rulers) demands a return to unquestioned obedience.
Writers’ group PEN Català also criticised the decision saying that it “proves Spanish Gag Law is a serious attack on freedom of expression”. In a statement the group also said that it was “also concerned about the ‘chilling effect’ of this law on artistic expression”.
The second charge against Valtonyc’s lyrics was ‘glorification of terrorism’ in praising the historical terrorist groups ETA and GRAPO for their anti-fascism, etc. It is still taboo to tell the other side of the story. It was ETA who unilaterally who finally laid down their arms . The Spanish State has always claimed a monopoly on violence and terror, even employing its own death squads against ETA and prohibiting Basque parties, newspapers, demos etc to this day, refusing all amnesty and reconciliation.
As in Turkey today the far right needs a convenient enemy to unite its rabid supporters, be it Kurds, Basques, Catalans or in this case rebellious artists.
”For over a month Nato equipped Turkey has been invading and continuously bombing and shelling the small rural canton of Afrin (Efrin) in NW Syria. Afrin is part of Rojava where a unique secular, feminist and non-sectarian revolution is going on based on direct democracy and ecological renewal.Turkey must be stopped, we cannot let a fascist dictator continue boosting his power by fanning insane nationalist and genocidal militarism, much less that he continue to be subsidised by the EU and NATO”.
