The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has called for the unity of the "people of Catalonia" and to prevent "no one and nothing from endangering coexistence", following incidents at the Fossar de les Moreres between sympathizers of Aliança Catalana and antifascist groups on the eve of the Diada. These events occur in a context marked by the rise of the far-right within the independence discourse and the imminent amnesty for former president Carles Puigdemont.
Concurrently, a significant outbound operation from the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona has been registered due to the Diada long weekend. According to the Servei Català de Trànsit, by 3:00 PM this Friday, 541,000 vehicles had departed, 98.4% of the forecast. The operation has resulted in three fatalities in the early hours, two motorcyclists and an occupant of a light vehicle, prompting a call for "maximum prudence".
The left-wing independentist movement, led by the CUP, has distanced itself from the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) by organizing its own mobilization under the slogan 'Per una terra lliure' (For a free land), with events in Barcelona, Reus, Girona, and Lleida. This initiative aims to counterprogram the ANC's main rally.
From the right, the leader of the Catalan PP, Alejandro Fernández, criticized the clashes at the Fossar de les Moreres, calling for "More Sagrada Familia, less Fossar de les Moreres" and advocating for a "Catalonia of coexistence, freedom, and free and equal citizens".
The ANC, for its part, hopes to "recover" independentist "self-esteem" with three simultaneous demonstrations in Barcelona, Girona, and Amposta, called for 5:14 PM. In Barcelona, two columns will converge at Plaça Catalunya.
The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) blocked the access of protesters from Arran to the Fossar de les Moreres. The youth organization, affiliated with the CUP, reported police charges and injuries during a march. Former president Quim Torra was also present at the Fossar de les Moreres.
Former president Artur Mas has shown openness to dialogue with Aliança Catalana, given the possibility of it becoming the second-largest force in the Parliament. Meanwhile, Societat Civil Catalana (SCC) has labeled the Diada as "exclusive" and proposed moving the official Catalan holiday to April 23rd, Sant Jordi's Day.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, wished a "happy Diada" to "an open, plural, and diverse Catalonia", emphasizing "coexistence, respect, and that which unites us".
