independencia i socialisme

While you all in the United States were remembering the lives lost in the September 11th attack eight years ago, the citizens of Cataluña had their own September 11th event to commemorate.

Arc de Triompf with Cataluñian independence flag

Diada Nacional de Catalunya (National Day of Cataluña) is celebrated every year on September 11 in part to commemorate the Siege of Barcelona defeat that took place on this day in 1714 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fight resulted from a dispute about who should take the Spanish throne when the King failed to produce a male offspring. The leadership of Madrid backed one royal and the people of Cataluña preferred another.

So as far as I can tell, Diada is in part a commemoration of this defeat. Yet more importantly, it represents the solidarity of the Catalonian people in their fight to maintain an identity separate from the rest of Spain.

Its a fairly new holiday; Parliament declared it as such in 1980. It has become a day for expression of the desire for Cataluña independence by certain groups who think that the autonomous principality should be completely independent of Spain.

I didn't know any of this before coming to Barcelona. In fact, I had no idea that the independence movement was so strong, especially among the youth here.

Here are some pictures I took of the celebration of Diada Nacional de Catalunya that took place by the Arc de Triompf.

Youths wearing the Catalunya independence movement's flag as a cape

The sign reads "Festival for Liberty. We all speak Valenciana, we all speak Catalan"


















Young boys partake in the celebrations


















There was live music that night. Most songs were about Catalan pride


















Banner calling for independence and socialism