The Catalan Republic has had an eventful birth since the Declaration of Independence  27th of October last year.

The Spanish Government has made moves to prevent its establishment and has incarcerated the people who carried out the democratic will of the Catalan people. Violence was used on people only trying to cast a vote. Women were dragged out of polling stations by the hair and  this happened  in a European Union member state.

That EU officials have been silent in condemning this use of excessive  force  – something that  has shaken my faith in the value of the EU as institution to its core. Not that I suddenly believe that Brexit has any benefits for Scotland incase you’re wondering  – it will still be an epic disaster no matter how red white and blue it is!

If you feel like me and one of my close friends does on this issue, you might like to consider boycotting Spanish produce. Buy Catalan –  Estrella is a very nice beer and I do like Cava. Moroccan oranges make an excellent  substitute for Spanish ones.

By HansenBCN – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2539503

I believe freedom , democracy and the right to determine you own future is at the heart of European values. I believe in the right of the people of Catalonia to determine the future of their country and  I believe in the Catalan Republic.

Visca Catalunya lliure.

Zara Pennington

Related story: Catalonia