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The actions of the Spanish police last Sunday, during the call by the government of Catalonia to vote in a referendum, declared ilegal by the courts in Spain, left almost one thousand people injured.  Images and videos taken in the streets of Barcelona and other were shared by the media and social media and the reaction of many Basque people and entities in the Diaspora was immediate: solidarity with the Catalan people. 

Buenos Aires, Argentina.   In Barcelona, the local Euskal Etxea joined the general strike called in Catalonia for October 3rd to “vindicate the dignity of the people of Catalonia and denounce the repression by the State.”

In Argentina, one of the first clubs to react was the Laurak Bat Basque Club in Buenos Aires, whose board of directors agreed to make public its “strong repudiation of the terrible acts of violence perpetrated by the Spanish State against the Catalan people.  The expression of the will and the democratic exercise of peoples’ rights should never be repressed by security forces,” the statement read.  The Federation of Basque Entities in Argentina (FEVA) adhered to Laurak Bat’s statement.

Euskaltzaleak in Buenos Aires also sent us a message of support of the Catalan people and in repudiation of the violence, making their position clear “against the repression of Spain, and in favor of people’s’ rights.  Those of us who are part of Euskaltzaleak provide our support of the Catalan people, a victim of the authoritarianism of the Spanish State.  The events the world has witnessed this weekend give a clear account of the fact that faced with the exercise of the democratic right of the people to decide their future, the Spanish Government could only respond with repression by the Spanish security forces and we claim the right to self-determination of the Catalan people.  Visca Catalunya! Gora herriak!” ended the note.  

From the capital of Cordoba, the Gerora Association, got on social media to show their "repulsion for the police actions" and the "indiscriminate repression of unarmed and defenseless people in a unequivocal pacific attitude at the hands of the Spanish" state saying also that “In view of the seriousness of the events in Barcelona, Gerora declares its solidarity with the Catalan people and reaffirms the right of people to decide democratically.”

In Pergamino, as part of the Basque club gathering convened by FEVA, representatives of the local Lagun Onak Basque Club and representatives of other clubs participating in the event also showed their support for the Catalan people by posing with the senyera (Catalan flag) estelada.

As a sign of empathy and wanting to learn firsthand about the process being carried out in Catalonia, media like the radio program, “Palabra de Vasco, Word of Basque,” in Rosario invited representatives of the Catalan community, like Luis Maria Barrandegui did on September 26 with president of the Centre Català in Rosario, Angel Perella.

Over the last few hours messages, both from institutions and individuals, have multiplied on social media.  Some condemn the violence exerted by the state security forces, sent by the Spanish Government to Catalonia.  Some other also reflect the respect and adhesion with the Catalan people in what they may decide as part of the process of disconnection from Spain initiated by the Parliament and Government of Catalonia.