9/24/2017 "Go Out & Vote!

o Out & Vote!" - Catalan Separatists Defy Spain, Distribute 1 Million Ballots Ahead Of Referendum | Zero Hedge

"Go Out & Vote!" - Catalan Separatists Defy Spain, Distribute 1

Million Ballots Ahead Of Referendum

by Tyler Durden
Sep 24, 2017 2:00 PM

0
SHARES

Following the confiscation of millions of ballots in recent days, and the Spanish governments' pressure on local
mayors to deter the October 1st independence referendum, AP reports that the grassroots groups driving
Catalonia’s separatist movement defied Spanish authorities on Sunday by distributing one million ballots
for the vote that  Madrid has called illegal and vowed to halt.

Jordi Cuixart, president of the separatist group Omnium Cultural, announced the ballots were being distributed
during a rally in Barcelona.

“Here are the packs of ballots that we ask you to hand out across Catalonia,” Cuixart said.

Catalonia’s separatists have pledged to hold the vote regardless of the central government’s wishes and
rallied Sunday in public squares in Barcelona and other towns in the region.

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Many carried pro-independence flags and signs calling for the independence vote and urging the “Yes” side to
victory.

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The crowds were asked by secessionist politicians and grassroots groups to also print and distribute
posters supporting the vote.

“I ask you to go out and vote! Vote for the future of Catalonia!” Carme Forcadell, the speaker of
Catalonia’s regional parliament, told a Barcelona crowd.

Polls show the 7.5 million residents of Catalonia are roughly split on breaking with the rest of Spain, but as
WolfStreet.com's Don Quijones points out Madrid’s crackdown on Catalonia is already having one major
consequence, presumably unintended: many Catalans who were until recently staunchly opposed to the idea
of national independence are now reconsidering their options.
If it spirals out of control, the conflict between Barcelona and Madrid could have ugly repercussions far
beyond Spanish borders, as we warned in a 2015 article. Yet the European Union steadfastly refuses to mediate
in the crisis, arguing that it must respect Spain’s constitution.
Given Brussels’ long-standing habit of meddling in others’ affairs, including toppling the elected leaders of
G dI l h h i h fE ’ i d b i i i’ A d
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Greece and Italy at the height of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, it’s a poor excuse. And most of Europe’s
governments (with the possible exception of the UK, which is already engaged in a gargantuan struggle with
Brussels) refuse to support Catalonia’s separatist movement out of the fear — largely justifiable — that it could
fuel separatist tensions closer to home.
But the crisis in Catalonia is not going to go away just by ignoring it.
In the last few weeks alone three major international newspapers — Le Monde, The New York Times and The
Times — have called for Madrid to allow a referendum. And with Rajoy and his government seemingly determined
to pummel Catalonia into submission, at just about any cost, the chances are that their ranks will grow.
And this is where Madrid is making arguably its biggest mistake. For a new country to be born, it must first
be recognized. Thanks to years of sustained, non-violent protest and the often overblown reaction of the Rajoy
government, Catalonia has already massively increased the positioning of its brand internationally. Ten
years ago, most people in the world didn’t even know what or where Catalonia was. Now, it’s hogging the
headlines of the front pages of the biggest newspapers.
“Do not underestimate the power of Spanish democracy.”

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Cluster_Frak • Sep 24, 2017 2:01 PM

They should vote a day before to piss of facist anti-democracy EU.

TemporarySecurity  Cluster_Frak • Sep 24, 2017 2:06 PM

I would say Spain's actions against them guarantee victory for the ballet vote to leave.  My guess
Spain's crackdown will double the vote for leaving.

chunga  TemporarySecurity • Sep 24, 2017 2:36 PM

The reaction to the maverick outsider's crackdown on mandatory national anthems at sports games
will be similar. A lot of people who didn't care much about the knee-takers before will now be
against the anti-knee-takers.

BingoBoggins  chunga • Sep 24, 2017 3:22 PM

 

nothing like contention to stir it up, aye, chunga?

Crazy Or Not  chunga • Sep 24, 2017 3:30 PM

EU (& US) will happily ram thier ideology down the necks of Nations, group or body which hampers
their political outlook. Of course when those dance to a different beat they hypocritically publically
hope it will go away, whilst performing Tom Clancy/ Jason Bourne tactics behind the scenes.
Catalunya may get it's Repuplic come Oct 1st.... 
Wh ' d h h i C l ki h fS i '
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 What's guaranteed whatever the outcome is Catalunya making the most of Spain's
intransigence and pushing for a hearing in European Court of Human Rights adding to Spains
current palpable international shame and further strengthening their position for some hard
bargaining in greater autonomy with Rajoy and his (likely soon) sucessor.

BingoBoggins  Crazy Or Not • Sep 24, 2017 3:33 PM

 
(sigh) ain't no change without change ...

anarchitect • Sep 24, 2017 2:08 PM

Good on them, but the obsession with voting is regrettable.  Voting is important only because
governments are way too fucking large.  If they get independence, they will simply replace one group
of assholes with another.

rejected  anarchitect • Sep 24, 2017 2:44 PM

1776 is proof!

bruno_the  rejected • Sep 24, 2017 3:25 PM

Here is a clue
Catalan Leader Predicts Independence in About Two Years, and Close Friendship With Israel
Whait we got more
CATALONIA THE NEWEST EUROPEAN KOSHER STATE ?

freedom1798 • Sep 24, 2017 2:12 PM

Madrid fucked up.   They pushed most of the fence-sitters in Catalonia on to the side of
independence.

directaction • Sep 24, 2017 2:12 PM

Catalonians must drop their love affair with African immigrants or a few years down the road
indigenous Catalonians will be a minority and not long after that they’ll go extinct. Really, it’s that bad.

freedom1798  directaction • Sep 24, 2017 2:31 PM

Sorry to hear that.

BritBob • Sep 24, 2017 2:32 PM

What hope have they got when Spain denies that the people of Gibraltar have the right to self-
determination? Common sense determines otherwise - Gibraltar – Self-Determination (1 pg) :

https://www.academia.edu/33409907/Gibraltar_Self_-Determination
Good luck with Spain, Catalonia.

dogismycopilot • Sep 24, 2017 2:35 PM

vote early and vote often.

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BingoBoggins  dogismycopilot • Sep 24, 2017 3:30 PM

+1 for "catchphrase"

rejected • Sep 24, 2017 2:41 PM

Yea,,, voting is great. Look at all the good coming from the last US election. Swamp is draining,,, Jobs
are great again,,, economy is great again, Less wars, more infrastructure repair,,, Americans love and
respect each other,,, America is great again.
Just doesn't get any better!

Albertarocks • Sep 24, 2017 2:44 PM

"Polls show the 7.5 million residents of Catalonia are roughly split on breaking with the rest of
Spain..."
And who's polls are these?  The truth is that in Catalonia the vote will go closer to 90% "you bet, let's
GTF outta here".
"Roughly split" is pure bullshit... as usual.  Just watch.

directaction  Albertarocks • Sep 24, 2017 2:49 PM

I was in Barcelona recently and saw thousands and thousands of Catalonia flags on buildings and two
Spain flags. One Spain flag was on a military building and one on the customs house.

Overflow  directaction • Sep 24, 2017 2:52 PM

Silent HUGE majority.  Dont delude yourself.

BingoBoggins  Overflow • Sep 24, 2017 3:29 PM

Just out of curiosity, what's your purpose in all of this?
Grant you this can be a decent springboard for greater discussion ...
edit: he said with a straght face

Overflow  BingoBoggins • Sep 24, 2017 3:31 PM

My purpose?
 
Im a ZH'er, an sceptic, on debate.
 
Astonished that most ZH'ers have fallen in this farce, supporting a bunch of the most corrupt
politicians in the world trying to avoid legal responsabilities by herding the ethinc-nationalists,

SJW's and unicorn leftists sheep to go to streets and face the police so they can be saved from the
suppoenas and trials pending on them.
 
 
 

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ArthurDaley-Old... • Sep 24, 2017 2:43 PM

Britbob .. As a Brit Expat who gives a rip about Gibraltar? I know I know the treaty of Utrecht. The
folks here in the US have had too many earfuls of the Falklands and Gibraltar.. 

1.21 jigawatts • Sep 24, 2017 2:47 PM

If all else fails, Spain could take a page out of the US Dem playbook
and label all Catalans as "Hitler".

AGuy • Sep 24, 2017 2:49 PM

Spainish Civil War 2, followed by Spainish Fascism or Communism takeover. Only took about 81 years
to return to full circle (ie 1936 Spanish Revolution started by Catalonia):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Catalonia

rejected • Sep 24, 2017 2:57 PM

Look like white supremacists to me...

Overflow • Sep 24, 2017 3:24 PM

LOL
- At this moment there's no spanish media talking of any ballot being delivered.   Let's wait, it might
be true... but it seems this is just more ZH fake news.
- That idea of the Constitutional Court  and Madrid gov actions are pushing people towards
secessionism is pretty ridiculous.  In fact, thanks to this farce, we are witnessing for firt time in
decades a wave of national unity against these annoying assholes that have been ruining our
coexistence for so long.
Anyway... I see ZH and most ZH'ers have been fooled by the big spanish farce.  I tried to explain,
hoping that this audience, used to understand realpolitik, would listen to a sceptic Zh'er from spain. 
But most of you, and the Durdens are acting  as childish SJW's against reality. 
OK.
In a few weeks we'll know this play ends.     I promise I'll come back to receive my Owned, or to give
you all a big big one.
 

Overflow • Sep 24, 2017 3:15 PM

Remind:
 
Two ways to change legal order:
 - Legally. (Majority). 
  Secesionists are 30%of catalans and 5% of spaniards.
 
 - Force
No catalan army
Not enough people for a revolution or any kind of blocking the economy.
No money, no credit.
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o o ey, o c ed t
No international support.
Nothing but victimistic tweets, flags and hispters shouting old slogans in the streets.
 
 
And no, this is not like Scotland or the Czech. Catalonia is a historic region of Spain from the very
beginning of it.
We'll do like Germany with Baviera, Italy with Padania, Denmark with Greenland, France with Corsica...
 
And none of those coutries was ruled by Franco.  LOL   Here in SPain we make jokes about the
"Franco Wildcard"  dumb leftists and SJW's always  use to justify their claims.  It' like our own local
"Godwin's law".
 
But you can keep waiting for the "Catalonian Feminist Multicultural Socialist Republic" as long as you
want. Or wait for a civil war in SPain, just for the show.  I'm afraid we'll disappoint you.

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