Después de 9 días de euforia españolista desatada en todo el Estado, la crisis en Catalunya podría tomar un nuevo giro con la detención de los máximos dirigentes de dos de las principales organizaciones independendistas, Jordi Sanchez y Jordi Cuixart, de la Asamblea Nacional Catalana y de Òmnium Cultural. En la noche de ayer hubo caceloradas masivas en toda Barcelona y otras ciudades. En Girona, hubo una gran manifestación nocturna y cortes de carretera en algunas poblaciones, como El Masnou. Hoy martes, hay convocadas movilizaciones al mediodía de los estudiantes y

Jorge Martin reports on how the arrest of two Catalan officials has reignited the mass movement for independence. The whip of oppression wielded by the Spanish state has driven the masses back into action, the mood is incendiary, and Puigdemont has been left little room for maneuver.

Monday morning, October 16 at 10 am was the first deadline the Spanish government had given the Catalan government to clarify whether it had declared independence or not. That summons sent last week, was part of the legal requirements to implement article 155, suspending Catalan autonomy. Once again, Catalan president Puigdemont gave another inconclusive answer.

El capitalismo español atraviesa su crisis política más grave desde la Transición. El movimiento por la autodeterminación de Catalunya, que tiene un contenido revolucionario indudable, ha puesto en jaque a todas las instituciones del Estado. Todas ellas: el gobierno central, la judicatura, las fuerzas represivas y la Corona se han implicado hasta el cuello para tratar de aplastarlo.

Parecía como si todo estuviera decidido de antemano. El presidente catalán, Carles Puigdemont, iba a acudir al Parlamento catalán y anunciar la formación de una república independiente, como estaba obligado a hacer por los resultados del referéndum del 1 de octubre. Esto sería seguido por la suspensión de la autonomía catalana por parte del Estado español, que había declarado ilegal el referéndum, y tal vez incluso por la detención de los miembros del gobierno catalán por rebelión. Al final, el choque se retrasó, pero con toda probabilidad no se evitó.

It seemed as if everything had been decided in advance. Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, was going to go to the Catalan Parliament and announce the formation of an independent republic, as he was bound to do by the results of the 1 Oct referendum.

#BenvingudaRepública (Welcome Republic): this is the hashtag being used to organise mobilisations today, Oct 10 in Barcelona, when the Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, will address Catalan Parliament about the results of the independence referendum on Oct 1. Those organising the mobilisations have two aims: to push Puigdemont to actually declare the Catalan Republic and also to defend and protect the session of the Catalan Parliament (the Spanish Constitutional Tribunal already ruled on Friday that a session which was to take place on Monday had to be cancelled).

El proceso independentista catalán se encuentra en un momento crítico. La disyuntiva es avanzar o retroceder. El Tribunal Constitucional ha prohibido la celebración del pleno del Parlament de Catalunya del lunes, que debía ratificar el resultado del Referéndum del 1-O y proclamar la República catalana. Desairando el discurso Real, han surgido iniciativas de diálogo por todas partes, con escasa probabilidad de salir adelante. Por su parte, la burguesía catalana se ha alineado abiertamente con el régimen español, y ha iniciado una guerra mediática de amenazas económicas contra su propio pueblo.

Catalonia’s Independence Referendum on October 1 has opened up a major regime crisis in Spain. Braving brutal police repression, hundreds of thousands occupied and defended polling stations so that 2.2 million people could vote on the day. There were images of police officers using hammers to break through the doors of polling stations and then snatching polling boxes from the hands of the people, of police officers using batons against unarmed civilians, including elderly ladies, of police officers throwing people downstairs.

Ayer 3 de octubre, Catalunya vivió una protesta gigantesca contra la represión del Estado, en un clima insurreccional en algunas partes de la comunidad. El gobierno del PP quemó en apenas 15 días todo su arsenal represivo en su intento vano de abortar el Referéndum sobre la independencia del 1-O, y lo hizo arrojando gasolina sobre el fuego en un pastizal seco, provocando un incendio de dimensiones colosales. La acción directa de las masas en la calle ha maniatado todo intento del Estado de aplastar el movimiento por la autodeterminación. Desairado por todo un pueblo, y suspendido en el aire sin apoyos parlamentarios sólidos, el Rey ha acudido en ayuda del gobierno del PP y de

The Catalan masses are gearing up for a massive strike movement today, as key unions commit to a nationwide ‘stoppage’ after facing brutal repression by the Spanish state during the referendum on Sunday. The referendum movement is developing a radical, working-class character under pressure from below, putting a Catalan Republic on the agenda. This is opening up a crisis with the potential to topple the Spanish regime.

Brutal police repression failed to stop the Catalan independence referendum faced with the determination of hundreds of thousands to overcome all obstacles to participate. What we saw yesterday in Catalonia was on the one hand the real ugly face of the Spanish regime created during the so-called “Transition” at the end of the Franco regime, and on the other the mass mobilisation and self-organisation of the Catalan people to exercise their right of self-determination.

The moment that hundreds of uniformed Barcelona firefighters joined the 90,000 -strong student demonstration in Barcelona is an indication of the level of class conflict developing in Catalonia. These scenes are reminiscent of other periods in history, such as May 1968 when the workers and students came together.

Yesterday, (Wednesday, 27 September) students in Catalonia were out on strike and on the streets in many towns and cities. High school students blocked dozens of roads and highways. Most polling centres for Sunday are schools, so the students are called on to play a decisive role in the ongoing events in the build up to the referendum on Sunday.

This morning (Sunday, 24th September), there were mass rallies all over Catalonia. The one in Barcelona was attended by thousands of people. This is significant, because this weekend is the Mercè festivity, which is a very important holiday and one would not expect big demonstrations.