The government of the Balearic
Islands (headed by the same party as the government of Spain, the Popular
Party) prepares a law on the use of institutional symbols in the Balearic
Islands. The text foresees
fines of up to €5,000 for school directors that don't comply with the law.
The aim of the law is to avoid schools displaying Catalan banners as a protest.
This protest, soon to complete its first year, is against the Spanish language
being imposed in schools by the party in government. The new government broke a
consensus in the schools of the Balearic Islands that had lasted three decades.
This consensus was based on Catalan language immersion for the first years of schooling.
With regard to serious offences, fines will
be imposed unless the principals “take appropriate measures to put an immediate
end to any use which is not permitted or authorised under the terms of this
law, when obliged to do so”.
The main trade unions of
the islands reacted in a similar way. CCOO, one of the largest, made a “call
for peaceful disobedience, because it means a direct attack against our
academic freedom and freedom of expression.” In the same vein, STEI-i (a teaching staff trade
union) states: “The fact that all fines will be imposed on the principals is
ridiculous, because they represent the administration in the centres, so will
the administration fine itself?”.
When they came for the people of the Balearics, I said nothing because I am not from the Balearics.
When they came for the people of Catalunya, I said nothing because I am not Catalan.
When they come for me, there will be nobody left to speak for me.
The dictators change their party symbols, but they do not change their beliefs or their methods.