0005 The Catalonian Biscuit - News and infomation in
English about the Catalan Countries
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News and infomation in English
about the Catalan Countries
Per a la llengua, el poble, la terra – i la independència. In support of the language, the people, the land – and independenceThis page is: http://www.estelnet.com/catalunyacymru/catala/galeta_noticies_2003_09_20.htm |
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ON THIS PAGE:
Today’s News
Saturday 20 September 2003
1/ The
Genesis of the Catalonian Biscuit
2/ Antisocial
Behaviour in Barcelona, the capital of the Catalan Countries
3/ An attack by neo-Nazis, aided by Castilian paramilitaries, on participants in the annual festival in Castellar del Vallès
4/ Preparations for the special congress of Bloc
Nacionalista Valencià (the Valencian
Nationalist Alliance) at the beginning of October
The Genesis of the Catalonian Biscuit
We were sitting
around, four of us, deciding how to best provide information on the Catalan
Countries for an English-speaking audience. For non-Catalan-speakers the usual
sources of information on Catalonia are in Castilian (i.e. “Spanish”), and it
is often produced by Castilians with a very jaundiced view of the Catalans and
their language. Almost all Castilians deny the existence of the Catalan
Countries as an entity distinct from Castile (“Spain”). What was taken by
conquest is theirs for all time. But the Catalans have not forgotten that they
were once an independent people, and are extremely unhappy with the avowed
Castilian policy of making them into Castilians, primarily by attempting to
suffocate the Catalan language.
We wanted to give information in English as seen from the Catalan viewpoint, or
at least those Catalans whose allegiance is to the Catalan Countries (“Els
Països Catalans”) and not to the Castilian state, who do not consider
themselves to be Castilian at all, and who hope one day to see the
Catalan-speaking territories as an entity independent of Castile, with its own
seat at the United Nations.
Not much came of the three-hour discussion. There was talk of finding funding
from somewhere to produce some kind of news agency or information bureau –
something with ‘cara i ulls’ (of real quality, or with ‘a face and eyes’
according to the Catalan expression). We wandered off the point, came back to
it, wandered off it again, and eventually adjourned the meeting for another
day.
I believed that all that was needed was to start modestly – maybe three short
summaries of current Catalonian news stories each day. As we were drinking
mineral water and eating biscuits, I suggested as a working title ‘The Catalonian
Biscuit.’
“If anybody looks at it, it’ll be a miracle.”
“Yes, but at least we can see what kind of reaction there is to it.”
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2/ Antisocial
Behaviour in Barcelona, the capitlal of the Catalan Countries
One aspect of
life in Barcelona, the capital of the Catalan Countries, is the growing amount
of vandalism and generally uncivil behaviour of many of the inhabitants of the
city. This is a letter from today’s edition of Avui:
ELS COSTOS D’INCIVISME
Crec que l'incivisme es un problema que sobrepassa l'ambit local barceloni. No
obstant això, en aquesta ciutat arriben a ser preocupants fets com: el nivell
d'infraccions que es cometen conduint i que no arriben a ser sancionades, el
soroll excessiu que produeixen determinats vehicles, contenidors envoltats
d'escombraries, sentir alguns noctambuls cridar a les dues de la matinada, el
nombre considerable d'usuaris que no paguen el metro, comprovar que els nostres
carrers son dels més bruts d'Europa, trobar mobiliari urba malmès
conscientment, etc
.
Fins que els nostres governants, educadors, pares i la resta de ciutadans no
facin entendre als incivics que les seves actituds molesten i que, a més,
costen diners, no podrem rebaixar el nivell de malestar social que
contribueixen a crear. Com es pot arribar a fer coneixer els perjudicis de les
actituds inciviques? Amb la informació, primer, i amb unes sancions
dineràries proporcionades després.
antoni fernandez laborda Barcelona
THE COSTS OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
I believe that antisocial behaviour is a problem that is not just confined to
Barcelona. However, in this city it has reached a worrying level, with the
following instances of it: the amount of traffic offences which are committed
and are not penalised; the excessive noise caused by some vehicles, rubbish
containers surrounded by garbage, hearing people out at night shouting at two
in the morning, and the considerable number of people who use the metro without
buying a ticket, the proven fact that our
streets are the filthiest in Europe, and finding street furniture
deliberately damaged, etc.
Until our civic representatives, teachers, parents and the rest of society let
it be known to those who behave in an antisocial manner that their activities
cause annoyance and what is more cost money, we won’t be able to reduce the
amount of ill-feeling which they cause. How can we make people aware of the
harm which results from antisocial attitudes? Firstly, through information
campaigns, and secondly with fines which reflect the seriousness of the
offence.
antoni fernandez laborda Barcelona
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3/ An attack by neo-Nazis, aided
by Castilian paramilitaries, on participants in the annual festival in
Castellar del Vallès
Another letter refers to an incident this week at the annual festival in
the village of Castellar del Vallès, near Barcelona. The Catalonian Statute of
Autonomy over twenty years ago stipulated that in Catalonia an autonomous
police force (“Els Mossos d’Esquadra”) was to take over. However because the
Castilian government has dragged its feet over the years in the implementation
of the Statute, Barcelona and the outlying towns are still patrolled by
Castilian police (“Policía Nacional”) and Castilian paramilitaries (“Guardia
Civil”). These Castilian forces are a hangover from the Francoist era, and have
never been purged and reformed, and maintain the attitudes of the dictatorship.
They are intolerant of the Catalans, and see their rôle as a political one – to
keep the Catalans in check.
Examples of their thuggish behaviour are ten a penny. The
latest scandal occurred when a hundred-strong band of young neo-Nazis began
throwing stones and tear-gas canisters at the audience at an open-air concert
featuring two Catalan groups – Pomada and Brams. The neo-Nazi problem has never
been acknowledged by the police, who describe them merely as (approximate
translation from Castilian) ‘individuals dressed in skinhead gear’. They are
usually children or grandchildren of Castilian immigrants, who have never
integrated into Catalan society, and have a deep hatred of Catalans and
non-Castilian immigrants. The problem is that the Castilian police and
paramilitaries never pursue the neo-Nazis as they share the same ideology and
are perceived by the police as ‘people who on our side’.
The paramilitaries, instead of defending the concertgoers who were under attack
from the neo-Nazis, began to club the concertgoers and passers-by, and fire
rubber bullets, whilst insulting the Catalans and making pro-Castilian
comments, and allowing the neo-Nazis to continue their attacks.
Castellar boicotejat
El consistori de Castellar del Valles, després d'una llarga reunió, decideix
consensuar un document que rebutja a la violència feixista i demana
"responsabilitats" per la brutal
càrrega de la Guàrdia Civil. Després de dos anys d'atacs feixistes, felicitats
al consistori per la rapida reacció que ha permès que la situació no
s'agreugés.
Amb la sornegueria prepotent que el caracteritza, el benémerito cuerpo
ha respost al consistori que només era una baralla de joves.
És indignant la passivitat i la catalanofòbia de qui té el deure de protegir
els ciutadans en comptes d'emparar grups feixistes (encara que portin la
bandera espanyola al braç) i deixar-los actuar impunement. Potser seria hora,
Sr. Coromines, de demanar alguns cessaments als responsables de la Guardia
Civil a Catalunya, per sanitat democràtica i dignitat del poble de Castellar i
de Catalunya. Desitjaria que la resposta dels polítics i les institucions
catalanes sigui ferma i digna, d'acord amb els principis democràtics de la
societat catalana davant la brutalitat del feixisme espanyol.
JOSEP CASANOVAS GISBERT. Sabadell
Castellar under attack
The local administration of Castellar del Valles, after a long meeting, has
decided to release a statement which shows its condemnation of the fascist
violence and demands that those
responsible for the brutal charge of the Civil Guard (= the Castilian
paramilitaries) be brought to account. After two years of fascist attacks,
congratulations to the local administration for its swift reaction which
has meant that the situation has not worsened.
In its usual arrogant and sarcastic manner, the “benémerito cuerpo” (“the
distinguished company”, a Castilian epithet which the paramilitaries apply to
themselves) has replied to the local administration that it was just
a fight between young people.
Their passivity and their hatred of Catalans is shocking – these are
people who are supposed to protect the citizenry instead of aiding groups of
fascists (even though the paramilitaries wear the flag of Castile (“Spain”) on
their uniform) and letting them act with impunity. Maybe it’s time, Mr.
Coromines, to ask the Civil Guard chiefs to relieve some of their members of
their posts as a cleansing operation for the sake of the democratic system, and
for the dignity of the inhabitants of Castellar and of Catalunya. I hope the
response of the Catalan politicians and institutions will be a firm and
appropriate, in accordance with the democratic principles of Catalan society in
the face of the brutality of Castilian fascism.
JOSEP CASANOVAS GISBERT Sabadell
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4/ Preparations for the special
congress of Bloc Nacionalista
Valencià (the Valencian Nationalist
Alliance) at the
beginning of October
In the Valencian
Country, the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià (the Valencian Nationalist Alliance) is
preparing for a special conference on October 4-5. The situation in the
Valencian Country is complicated. Many nationalists recognise that they the
Valencians are Catalans, and that their country is one of the four major
components of the Catalan Countries (Andorra; El Principat or ‘The Principality’ (which is the region
generally called ‘Catalonia’); El País Valencià = The Valencian Country;
and Les Illes Balears = The Balearic Islands – Mallorca, Menorca,
Eivissa, Formentera.)
Some Valencians, opposed to the Castilian domination of their land,
believe the Valencian Country to be a nation distinct from the rest of the
Catalan Countries.
The Bloc has no representation in the autonomous government (la
Generalitat valenciana) since a ‘5%’ rule excludes parties which do not
attract one in twenty of the votes cast here. Their vote is just short of this,
but the rule has effectively kept the nationalist voice out of the parliament,
which has only representatives of Castilian parties at this time. The news from
the Valencian Country is that in the city of València Maria Josep Amigó has the
support of 70% of the delegates for the post of general secretary. She
represents a current of change in the Bloc. In a fortnight’s time we shall know
whether she will be elected, and if so in what way the policies of the Bloc
will change as a result,
END OF PAGE
Last Updated: 2003-09-20
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