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The Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Josep Maria Terricabras, is willing to organise "a hunger strike in front of the European Parliament" if the Spanish state prevents the referendum of 1st October, or carries out "any other madness". "We need a strong reaction in defense of fundamental human rights," assured Terricabras in an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

"We are in an untenable situation that we have to resolve peacefully, and a hunger strike is peaceful," added the MEP, who trusts that Catalan citizens "would reply by standing up not only for their representatives, but for themselves" if the Spanish government opts for "extreme measures" to prevent the referendum or the application of its result. The MEP said that he does not want to make "a spectacle" and that the mobilization would be a "last resort", but that it would be considered if "necessary".

"The European Parliament has always defended people's rights," said Terricabras. "If the European Parliament was not capable of defending such rights, it would no longer interest us as a Parliament," warned the Republican MEP, who is "convinced" that he "would not be the only one" who would be mobilized in Brussels or Barcelona to defend the rights of the Catalans to decide their own future. 

Terricabras rejects the Spanish government applying article 155 of the Constitution "because it would not have the support" of the PSOE, but admits that "there could be more or less a military attempt to stop the ballot boxes and prevent the vote". "This is very delicate, from the European point of view," Terricabras warned, recalling that "nowadays everyone has a mobile and if there are 300 people around a ballot box, with 3 or 4 police trying to take it away, the photos will show an authentic democratic delight." 

Civic mobilization

Above all, the MEP for ERC believes that "the people of Catalonia would be willing to go out and defend their rights". "I am sure of it," says Terricabras, who added that in spite of his age (he is 71), he would not have "any problem" camping in front of the Catalan Parliament, or taking part in any other type of peaceful demonstration. "If necessary, we would go on a hunger strike in front of the European Parliament - I'm confident things won't have to go that far - but if necessary, why not?" He admits it would be an "extreme measure". "I am not in favour of creating a spectacle. Only when it is necessary," he pointed out. 

For Terricabras, whenever the Catalans use "peaceful means", they have "everything to win". The Republican MEP regrets that the Spanish government is making a "very improper and forced use of the judiciary" to stop the referendum, an attitude that he already considers "violent". "But if it comes to physical attacks, I think the citizens of Catalonia would respond by standing up to it," he admits.

Unilateralism

Terricabras says the Catalan government is justified in organising the referendum without agreement from the Spanish state, because there is no alternative. "Preserving freedom is also to go in favour of unilateralism," says the MEP for ERC. "For years the divorce had to be in mutual agreement. If one did not want the other, the other could never get a divorce, the poor thing. Should the 'no' always have to win?" he stressed, adding that divorce laws change because "it is obvious" that there are decisions in which "if you wait for the other to see the agreement the same way as you, then you will never reach an agreement." 

Terricabras says that if on 1st October there is "a great electoral result" with a good participation, then independence will be "unstoppable". According to the Republican, after the referendum the European Parliament could make some "recommendation of understanding, of dialogue", but on "how to implement the result, not to retreat". "If they act it will be because there has been a referendum, it will not be possible to state that there was not one," he emphasized. 

For Terricabras, if the EU does not accept a referendum in Catalonia doing it "positively" and "peacefully", one has "to consider" the objective of the project. "To accept that countries can declare themselves independent after a war and not accept it after a vote would be monstrous and we should consider what the EU means," he emphasized. According to Terricabras, moreover, Brussels will want "to guarantee stability in southern Europe" and knows that Catalonia has "always" been pro-European.