5000 castellers in Europe: "We want to vote; help us knit the kernel"

71 human tower groups built castles in 7 European capitals and 41 Catalan towns on Sunday with the slogan “Catalans want to vote”.

Almost 5000 castellers belonging to 71 groups raised human towers on Sunday in seven European capitals, Paris, London, Brussels, Geneva, Lisbon, Rome and Barcelona and in forty Catalan towns to support the right to self-determination.

The president of Omniun Cultural, Ms Muriel Casals, read a manifesto in Barcelona in front of the Sagrada Familia, to explain that this action is “a call to all European citizens” to “let them know who we are, what we want and how we intend to share the future, building the Europe of the XXIst century”. “We want to vote, we want to decide our future in a referendum”, she said, ”that is why we make this call to all the European citizens, the Europe we want to assemble with you, like a big castle, please help us join forces”

The castles were raised in Geneva by the Xiquets de Reus; in Brussels by the Castellers de Vilafranca; and in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower, by the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls; and in many other cities and towns where the protest took place.

“When we started to plan this action we thought it was important to bring the best we have, the most spectacular. And human towers are the best. An Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO, spectacular and of great value, as Jordi Bosch, Secretary of Omnium stated at midday in London, trusting the eyes of the world will focus on Catalan demands. “It is the best way to explain to the world who we are and to vindicate our demand for the referendum, to say we want to vote peacefully, joyfully”, he declared.

The whole Casteller world “has given this protest its support”, according to Mr Bosch. “It is the people who demand the vote. We demonstrate it by bringing up to 200 castellers to London, each of them has paid out their own pocket to come here” said Josep Fernández, the president of the Colla Jove Xiquets de Valls.


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