The call to liberate the Catalan political prisoners has been heard in the heart of the United States' capital. In Washington DC's National Mall, the cause of the nine Catalan pro-independence leaders who have been held in jail for months was symbolically publicised through the construction of traditional Catalan castells - human towers - along with the formation of an immense yellow bow. The action was carried out by Catalan cultural groups visiting the city, along with the local US branch of the pro-independence Catalan National Assembly.
In the protest, about 400 people called for the liberation of the political prisoners as well as the return of exiled Catalan political leaders, all of them accused of crimes in connection with 2017's independence referendum in Catalonia. Chanting "Liberty!", laying out pro-independence estelada flags on the grass of the Mall, and displaying a large banner calling for the release of the prisoners, the demonstrators formed themselves into a huge yellow bow with two human castles - so-called 'pillars', five levels high - at each end of the bow.
Giant yellow bow and pillars of the @CollaVella and @JovesValls with @ANC_USA @Assemblea in the National Mall of Washington @SmithsonianFolk @CultPopular_CAT! Pride of city and of country! #2018Folklife #UsVolemACasa pic.twitter.com/sLjtvoYULK
— Marc Ayala (@MarcAyala_) 7 of July 2018
Translation: Giant yellow bow and human castles from the @CollaVella and @JovesValls groups, and ANC USA in the National Mall of Washington DC, after the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Civic and national pride!— Marc Ayala
L'ANC and the Young and Old groups of Valls make castles and a big yellow bow in|on the Sledge-Hammer|Mallet of Washington for the prisoners. About 400 persons have taken part in it
— Xesco Reverter (@xescoreverter) 7 of July 2018
@collavella @JovesValls pic.twitter.com/fk8splpvrt
ANC and cultural groups make human castles and a large yellow bow on Washington's National Mall for the prisoners. About 400 persons took part in it— Xesco Reverter
The Sledge-Hammer|Mallet of Washington has been dyed this morning of yellow color to claim the #LlibertatPresosPolítics with @ANC_USA @JovesValls @collavella and the whole|set of Catalan participants of l'@SmithsonianFolk. With giant yellow bow and pillars let's call|shout #UsVolemACasa! pic.twitter.com/E38lRifZ4Q
— JuntsXCat Valls (@PDECATValls) July 7, 2018
The Washington DC National Mall was coloured yellow this morning to demand #Liberty for political prisoners with local ANC, and Catalan cultural participating in Smithsonian Folklife. With giant yellow bow and 'pillars' we cry #WeWantYouHome
Actions in support of the Catalan Political Prisoners and Exiles continue at Washington's National Mall during the #2018Folklife.#Catalonia #YellowforFreedom@JovesValls_EN @collavella_EN pic.twitter.com/Emnahsz3Fo
— ANC USES (@ANC_USA) July 7, 2018
The two human-tower groups from the southern Catalan town of Valls, Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls and Colla Joves de Valls have been visiting the United States to take part in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a major cultural festival at which Catalonia was one of the invited countries this year. In the initial acts of the festival there was political tension on the political prisoners issue between Spain's ambassador to the US and the Catalan president Quim Torra.