L4MAT

As a Spaniard from southern Spain (heritage from basque Country, Galicia and Catalonia) I don't believe in the Catalonian Independence whatsoever. The claims for independence imo are simply not there, the claims for reform, absolutely there. Our conservative party has basically ruined any possibility of dialogue and diplomacy with the Catalonian government by sabotaging any attempt of reform. That has been a huge push towards independence.

Having said that, I am for the right of the Catalonian people having a say in what they want. It doesn't have to be a binding referendum, but beating the shit out of people who just want to go to a public building to say whether or not they would like to be an independent country... makes me so ashamed! I am so ashamed of our government, I am disgusted, my great grandparents from Barcelona never once in their lives considered themselves Catalonian and not Spanish and if they were alive today to see police officers drag and push elderly people across the street, they would think we were back in the times of Franco.

A lot of people think that voting the subject of independence makes you a 'separatist', not at all! I know so many people that want to vote and say NO.

It is just unfair, the treatment Catalonia is receiving is simply unfair. No reform, no dialogue, not allowed to vote (even if it is a non binding referendum), not allowed to use public institutions to ask what people want. How are we a democracy? The central government keeps finding shelter in the constitution, saying it is anti constitutional. Constitutions have been reformed and changed everywhere, dozens, hundreds of times. The Basque Country has a better economic deal with the central government than Catalonia, why not allow them to have a better deal too?

We were very close to achieving this when we had the PSOE (socialist party) but the conservatives came in and took several steps back in this matter.

Many friends of mine said to me, 'you know what, I had my doubts whether to remain or leave, but after I saw a mother and her two kids be rugby tackled in the middle of a street by police... fuck this. I want out of this'. Whether that is true or not, I don't know, but the sentiment is there.

EDIT: The heritage part is relevant because Basque Country, Galicia and Catalonia are basically the three major states with some to a lot of independence mentality, as well as separate languages etc. My basque family has in the past expressed they are not Spanish, but Basque, yet my Catalonian family never once mentioned not being Spanish and wanting to be independent.

EDIT 2: Vasque country --> Basque country. Sorry for the typo. In Spanish we say, Pais Vasco, I often get this mixed up when I write it down in English.

Likewise! Here in my town, I hear constant comments of 'A Por Ellos!' (Go Get 'em) being chanted to police officers that went to Catalonia. What the fuck is going on? I saw fascists waving their flags on their way to Barcelona to defend the kingdom and the integrity of our country. What integrity is that? People coming on holiday to the south and being scared of speaking Catalan in public, people going north and being scared of speaking Spanish. We are more divided than ever, there is a huge fascist and repressive cloud over our country right now. in 1978 90% of Catalonians voted for our Constitution, thousands of catalonians and basques were killed fighting against fascism in the civil war, alongside republicans, alongside socialists, alongside those that were for freedom. I don't know where the heck we are going, but we won't go far on our own. That's for sure.

Catalonia deserves a better treatment for sure. I just can't wait until this piece of shit government is replaced.

As a liberal democrat supporter that became completely disenchanted with the party shortly after the 2010 elections I certainly feel Lib Dems haven't recovered. I think I belong to this group of student voters considering I was just starting university when the tuition fees were raised. I still remember in the 2011 protests when we all shouted "Nick Clegg shame on you! Shame on you for tuning blue!" Aka becoming a torie puppet. It was so disappointing to see the lib Dems become a shadow spokespeople of the Tories. I haven't fully 100% lost my faith in their capacity to serve as a bridge between a left wing party trapped in its own feuds and a conservative party that is completely alien and incompetent towards real pressing social issues and injustices because Lib Dems have tried to persuade parliament to focus on issues such as lack of funding in the NHS and a sensible No stance in Brexit. But at the same time many of us can't help but think that they are doing too little far too late.

That's a huge and separate issue in itself. But you're right, the thing is that young people don't vote in Spain. It is ridiculous and incredibly pathetic. Very sad indeed.

You're right, it makes me cringe! You'd be surprised how many Franco supporters we still have in the south. People who didn't even live through the Franco era and speak of a country that was better off under his regime! Madness! I am hopeful though, I feel like in 20-30 years time there will be no more of this nonsense.