2013/12/10

74-Year Old Kicked Out of Train for Speaking Catalan: Rosa Parks Did Not Surrender, Neither Will Catalonia

On 5 December an employee of Spanish railway operator RENFE expelled 74-old Josep Maria Sagrera and his 4-year old grandson from a train because he dared to address her in Catalan. The employee shouted “I hate Catalans, and now, because I say so, you are getting out!”, she made the train stop, and kicked out both. The incident took place in Catalonia.

This brings back the memory of Rosa Parks, deprived of her seat at a bus. Rosa Parks did not surrender. The blatant attempt to treat her as a second-class citizen backfired, the struggle was long, but now her grandchildren can sit wherever they want.

Catalonia is not surrendering. We shall not accept being treated as second-class citizens, expelled from trains for speaking our language. Rosa Parks showed us the way. We will keep working hard to put an end to this discrimination, and we shall prevail, so that our grandchildren can speak Catalan in trains, or wherever they want. Victory will be ours, because history and justice are on our side. Let us thank Rosa Parks for showing us that courage can overcome centuries of fear and discrimination, if we are ready to make the effort.

By Alex Calvo


2 comentaris:

  • noori nori says:
    10 de desembre del 2013, a les 21:26

    Os ageadecería que pusiérais un link de la noticia que aparezca en un medio de comunicación serio. Gracias

  • Unknown says:
    12 de desembre del 2013, a les 1:00

    http://societat.e-noticies.cat/un-avi-denuncia-que-el-fan-baixar-del-tren-per-catala-81319.html
    http://www.vilaweb.cat/noticia/4161046/20131210/revisora-renfe-baixar-tren-avi-net-catalans.html
    http://www.elpuntavui.cat/ma/article/1-territori/13-serveis/700188-la-revisora-dun-talgo-fa-baixar-un-avi-i-un-net-per-ser-catalans.html

    Dear Noori Nori wish your next searches will be more successful

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