Earlier this month, the media was all abuzz over the anti-secession protesters who turned-out in the thousands on September 9th to oppose further attempts to separate Catalan from Spain. Now, that might seem impressive except, the next day, pro-secession demonstrators flooded the streets in Barcelona to support Catalonian independence, numbering close to “one million.” For those who were hoping for the Catalan independence movement to quietly go away, this massive show of defiance to Spanish tyranny must’ve been sorely disappointing.
Since Catalan voted to resign their union with Spain and the subsequent Spanish crack-down, many have been quick to pronounce the end of the Catalan independence movement. However, it seems that at every turn, Madrid’s plans have been foiled. They failed to avert a referendum, though they seized ballots and brutally treated those attempting to vote; they failed to install a pro-Spanish government, though they tried to make independence unpopular by arresting the movements leaders and compelling many into exile; and they failed to destroy the Catalan people’s commitment to independence. Even a year after Spain’s repression, the people showed up in the hundreds of thousands to demand independence.
Though the Rajoy regime, largely responsible for the severe response to Catalan’s separation efforts, has ended with June’s election of Pedro Sanchez, the new Spanish leader still stands opposed to Catalan independence. However, if history is any teacher, this kind of sustained support, like was shown on September tenth, will eventually lead to Catalan independence. Once Spain accepts the inevitable, that they can’t rule a people that do not consent, the Republic of Catalan will become a reality.
Similarly, support for an independent Texas has grown steadily over the years. Though a few years ago support was small, today those that generally champion the right to independence outnumber those that do not. If we were to call for a vote to restore the Republic, numbers are high enough that independence could carry the day. Even after nearly 150 years in the Union, Texas has resisted absorption into the American super-culture. And now that the Union has become a net liability to Texas, it won’t be long until our own leaders accept the inevitability of Texas independence. Like it may soon be with Catalan, the victory will belong to the side that believes enough.
