Catalan president Quim Torra's first public acts this weekend after the swearing-in of Catalonia's new government saw the new president appearing before huge crowds at the La Patum festival in Berga on Sunday morning, after earlier meeting with a protest group who for 6 weeks have been occupying a Barcelona space to denounce racism and call for immigrant rights.
In Berga, where this weekend has been marked by the celebration of the UNESCO-recognised La Patum festival, the new Catalan president watched festivities from the town hall balcony on Sunday after earlier attending a formal mass. With the town's central Plaça de Sant Pere filled with yellow ribbons and posters calling for 'Freedom political prisoners', Torra was warmly received by the crowd of around 6,000 people present for the traditional act, featuring larger-than-life representations of mythical figures, such as els Gegants (the giants), les Guites (the mules) and l'Àliga (the eagle).
Torra had earlier signed the distinguished visitor's book offered to him by the town's mayor, Montse Venturós of the CUP party. The new president stated that the new government had "a democratic and republican mandate to uphold", a result of the referendum of 1st October, and he thanked the strong commitment shown by the people of Berga in the independence process. "Therefore, I say thank you Berga, thank you for always being there, for helping us to achieve freedom", he said.
Meeting with immigrant-rights protesters
In fact, Quim Torra's first public act after his new government took power took place on Saturday afternoon. It was a lower-key affair as Torra visited a group who have been occupying a space at Barcelona's old Massana art school for the last six weeks, under the slogan Squatting for rights, calling for the rights of immigrants to be respected and for bureaucratic changes to make it easier to obtain residency papers. Accompanied by Catalan ERC deputy Rubén Wagensberg, founder of the Casa Nostra Casa Vostra (Our Home Your Home) platform, President Torra visted the protest group to hear them explain what they are seeking.
The president @QuimTorraiPla is already at the Massana School. He|She|It will meet @racismenstanca to listen to its|his|her|their claims. Already migrants and refugees have been occupying the building to denounce social and institutional racism for 42 days. @btvnoticies pic.twitter.com/ykogjNPlsY
— Laura Oliver (@LauraaOliver) 2 of June 2018
Translation: President Quim Torra is at the Massana School, meeting with @racismenstanca to hear what they are demanding. Migrants and refugees have been occupying the building for 42 days to denounce social and institutional racism.
The protest collective made a number of requests to the new Catalan president, such as the application of antiracist protocols in all institutions, and the guaranteeing of the ability for illegal immigrants to be enrolled on the municipal census. The president promised to create a commission to analyze these requests and to return later for another visit to the School.
The President of the @govern @QuimTorraiPla going out of in the #TancadaPerDrets @racismenstanca to|in the rhythm of one of the vindicating songs of the migrant sit-in: "In true, in true, quién dirige the baton; if extranjería or migrantas in the lucha?"#ElRacismeEnsTanca #ElRacismeEnsMata pic.twitter.com/J9fX9Xqm79
— Closed by rights (@tancadaperdrets) June 2, 2018
President Quim Torra leaving the "Squatting for Rights" occupation to the rhythm of one of the protesters' songs: "Let's see, let's see, who makes the decisions, is it the Department of Foreigners or the migrants who are fighting?"
During the 42 days of protest, the activists have held several demonstrations to campaign for these issues. In the present division of powers between Madrid and Catalonia, issues relating to the legislation on foreigners are the competency of the central government, and the protesters have asked both the Catalan government and the Barcelona city council to pressure the Spanish executive to meet with them.