Yesterday was the day that Spain died

A badly-injured man is stretchered away. Massive crowds wait to vote – like the first South African free election but now facing lines of armed goons, preventing peaceful National Self-Determination.

Ballot-boxes and voting papers are seized – in free and democratic Europe.

The contrast with the glory of UK democracy could not be any clearer – Scots could vote freely on whether to remain in or leave UK.

The Madrid regime has now sown dragon’s teeth – like the London government in 1918 and their attempt to impose conscription on Ireland – which outraged all shades of Green tribe and led to the (temporary) SF alliance sweeping all before it in the Dec 1918 general election.

Sunday Oct 1, 20017 is the day Spain died – or rather was killed – by the Madrid regime, no matter how long it may take to finally end the current Spanish State.

Or how many may be – tragically and unnecessarily – killed or maimed in the meantime.

Kremlin Tanks (temporarily) crushed Czech Freedom with their massive Aug 1968 invasion and occupation by 0.5 M troops, while Gen Jaruzelski, the Kremlin puppet, (again only temporarily) crushed the free trade union Solidarnosc in 1980, but a risen people can never be crushed forever. But the future lay with Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa, not with the Red Army tanks.

Sunday Oct 1, 2017 is like the other historic day 105 years ago, Saturday Sept 28, 1912 when Ulster Protestants massed to sign their Ulster Covenant – the London government was not so stupid as to try to crush that mass demonstration of the firm resolve of a people.

Catalans who were doubtful about escaping from Madrid domination will now see it is about democracy – and will not tolerate diktats from Madrid.

What will also be decisive – for the future not only of Catalans but above all of the EU itself – is whether Juncker and his Brussels Eurocrat elite and the MEPs – and 27 other EU govts – side either with (a) the core principle of Catalan democracy and national self-determination or else with (b) Madrid’s Neo-Francoist repression.

Sunday was a very historic and decisive day – made so by self-destructive and monumental Madrid stupidity.

That old Francoist leopard never really changed its vicious spots. They never went away. Nor learnt anything.

But in the ringing words of that inspiring and renowned heroine, the Cortes-Spanish Parl Chair in 1936 ‘La Passionaria’ herself, Dolores Ibarrui – *’o Pasaran’. They shall not pass. Franco Fascism won – temporarily – in 1939 – and Neo-Francoist repression may win again today, but again due only to superior physical force, but not to the will of the people, and not for long.

The die has been cast – Madrid has thrown down the gauntlet – they have driven Catalans into the arm of the separatist movement and that is where all democrats across Europe should now stand – with them.

The consent of the governed is a fundamental right and principle which trumps all else – even the bullfighting supporter PM Rajoy.

Libertad Akhbar.

Tom Carew, Dublin