"12th October, nothing to celebrate" was the message published by Catalan president Quim Torra to mark Friday 12th October, the Dia de la Hispanidad - that is, the Day of Spanish-ness - the anniversary of the day on which Columbus first reached the Americas, and officially Spain's National Day since 1987. The Catalan president's Instagram message on Friday not only repeated the slogan often used to denounce Spain's imperialism on the American continent, but it also shows what Torra was doing all day: as the photo shows, he was at work in his office. And he wasn't the only one.
Torra, along with some other leaders - the Basque lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, and the president of Navarra, Uxue Barkos - did not attend the annual military parade held in Madrid to mark the day.
And Quim Torra was not the only member of the Catalan government who continued his usual weekday routine on 12th October: several of his ministers also published messages on social media to show that they had kept on with their ministerial duties, such as the minister of territory and sustainability, Damià Calvet, the minister of digital policies, Jordi Puigneró, minister of labour, Chakir el Homrani and the minister of culture, Laura Borràs. Tweets are below, followed by their translations:
One year more, in a day as|like today, we make Board|Piece of Advice of Direction of the Department of Territori and Sostenibiltat. And a day more claim, working, that we want you in house|home and free, #LlibertatPresosPoliticsiExiliats pic.twitter.com/bCJIaW04zE
— Damià Calvet���� (@damiacalvet) 12 of October 2018
Once again this year, on this day, we hold a Management Board Meeting for the Department of Territory and Sustainability. And once again this year, we assert, while working, that we want you home and free, #Freedom Political Prisoners and Exiles — Damià Calvet.
Today #resacelebrar and a lot to work. Let's be! #RepúblicaDigital pic.twitter.com/kZ6u6DZY6P
— Jordi Pu1gnerO ���� (@jordiPuignero) 12 of October 2018
Today #nothing to celebrate and a lot to work to do. Let's keep going! #Digital Republic — Jordi Puignero.
Working meeting with the team|equipment of the cabinet d'@aferssocialscat and @treballcat. Like one day more, we work and we claim you. #LlibertatPresosPolíticsiExiliats#ResACelebrar pic.twitter.com/mxnqVTFpjU
— Chakir el Homrani ���� (@ChakirelHomrani) 12 of October 2018
Progress meeting with the departmental team at Social Affairs and Labour ministries. Like any other day, we work and we call out for you #Freedom Political Prisoners and Exiles.— Chakir el Homrani
One day more of work for the @cultura_cat because I do not have #resacelebrar , feature|shot -this yes- of the Saintly of my darling Pilar Miquela and of the pillars that I know and who I congratulate: @GiroPilar @RaholaOficial @pilarcalvo13 @mpilar11 @pilarmc3 @Pilar_Argudo pic.twitter.com/U1HVBmgxJu — Laura Borràs ���� (@LauraBorras) 12 of October 2018
Another day of work for the Culture team because I have #nothing to celebrate, except for the saint's days of my darling Pilar Miquela and all the Pilars that I know and congratulate... — Laura Borràs