The strike is to protest the jailing of protest leaders and Government ministers, the occupation of paramilitary security forces, the imposition of Direct Rule, etc
However the majority CCOO (ex comminist) and UGT (ex socialist) trade unions again came out against it and the anarchist CGT made a statement in favour but left it to their members to decide individually, arguing they haven’t time to consult them.
All schools and Universities and public offices will certainly close down as well as cities like Girona and LLeida which have a native Catalan majority.
But the bosses organisation Foment de Treball have taken a High Court case to declare the General Strike Illegal.
The neo-fascists in Madrid have been hiring fleets of coaches and even trains to bring in thousands of violent right wing ‘demonstrators’, as seen at last weekend’s huge demo openly led by thugs sporting swastikas, zieg heils and Francoist symbols.
The insidious campaign is to split Catalan society down the middle. over 40% of the population are workers from Spain, most are well integrated over generations with families who consider themselves Catalan. Mixed marriages are common and normal with the 2 languages coexisting perfectly in their homes. Tension between the communities has been minimal (as in ex Yugoslavia before politicians whipped up xenophobia for personal power).
The anarchists too are divided, actively calling and sup`porting the 3rd Oct General Strike from an anti nationalist workers standpoint, but reluctant to continue if a nationalist civil conflict in Catalunya is provoked.
The Spanish nationalist media these days has become a torrent of anti Catalan hatred and outright lies. With an explosion of racist attacks the General Strike on Wednesday and the ‘Mega Demo’ on Sat 11th could finally break the self imposed pacifist stance of the Catalan republicans, which is what the State needs to justify mass criminalization of the majority democratic movement.
we include below a translation of a key text
A triumph of popular mobilization
by LLuita Internationalista on Barcelona Indymedia The proclamation of the Catalan Republic is the expression of the will of the people of Catalonia to break with the Monarchy. It is the result of a permanent and massive popular mobilization (demos of over a million for 5 years) , which, until now, has forced the governments of the Generalitat Catalan Govt to apply the popular mandate. The regime of the transition, which Franco left “tied up and well tied up “ (by his legacy) is in its most serious crisis, cracked and may not survive. Continue reading “New Catalan Strike for Prisoners and Republic amid Far-right Repression”
The Free 