Catalonia: Guardiola Joins Politics, Insist Catalans Will Vote For Independence October 1
…Pep read out manifesto in Barcelona
A rally was held at Montjuic in Barcelona on Sunday to push for the Catalan people’s right to a binding independence referendum and Pep Guardiola was in attendance to read out the manifesto of the ‘Referendum is Democracy’ group which organised it.
The leader of the Catalan parliament Carles Puigdemont has announced his intention to hold a referendum later this year and the Manchester City coach promised that the region would go to the polls no matter the view of the federal government.
“We are here today to make it clear that on October 1 we are going to vote in a referendum to decide our future,” he told the crowd.
“We will vote even though the Spanish state doesn’t want us to.
“We have tried to reach an agreement 18 times and the answer has always been no.
“With this response, they ignore the support for a referendum of 80 percent of the population.
“They show contempt for the large majority in favour of it in Catalonia’s parliament.
“We have no other solution and the only possible answer is to vote.”
READ ALSO: Catalonia Plans October Independence Vote Defying Spain
He discussed the current concerns of some Catalans, before calling on people across the world to back their right to decide their fate.
“We call on the international community to help us,” Guardiola urged.
“We call on all democracies in Europe and around the world to stand by us in defending the rights under threat in Catalonia, such as freedom of political expression and the right to vote to face up to the abuses of an authoritarian state. ”
Guardiola has been in Catalonia on holiday over the past week and has also taken part in Barcelona’s celebrations for the 25th anniversary of their 1992 European Cup win.
