barcelona,
oct 25, 2015. Photo:Albert gea / Reuters
Batons and flags
A powerful photo, showing the hands of the mayors of more than 400 Catalan towns and cities, holding the batons that symbolize their representative power. The batons were held high to protest against the trial that Catalan president Artur Mas faces for one act that no democratic country would ever consider a crime: distributing ballot boxes around Catalonia so more than 2,3 million people could express their non-binding opinion on Catalan independence. More than 5.000 activists joined the mayors at the doors of the Court House.
Unfortunately, Justice is just another tool in the hands of the Spanish state to try to stop Catalan independence. Since there is a non-violent, peaceful, democratic political movement, there is no legal or factic way to stop the will of the people of Catalonia.