Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin leader and TD for Louth, has sent a video to the people of Catalonia supporting independence from Spain, ahead of La Diada, Friday’s national festival in the region.
The Belfast-born politician, 66, offers solidarity from Sinn Féin to the Catalan independence movement, expressing his desire to see the region become a independent state with political autonomy from the rest of Spain.
"I want to express solidarity from Ireland, from Republic of Ireland to the people of Catalonia," says Adams in the video, which you can watch below:
"One of our leaders Paul Maskey will be in Barcelona to join with others in supporting your right to self-determination," Adams says in the recording, uploaded to Youtube yesterday.
Paul Maskey, a Sinn Féin MP for Belfast West, will attend events to celebrate the Catalan national day, which will be marked by rallies calling for independence..
"We wish you well, we are pleased that you have been able to continue the momentum toward self-determination. Go well. 'Visca la terra'," Adams adds, using the Catalan phrase associated with the independence movement, translating as 'long live the land'.
Adams is not the only Irish politician to have weighed in on issue; earlier this year, former Dublin Lord Mayor Christy Burke also pledged his support to an independent Catalonia.
"We know what it is like to be treated as second class citizens," Burke said in May, when meeting with a delegation from the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (DIPLOCAT) which was in Dublin for a ceremony to remember Irish republican leaders.
Tomorrow, Friday the 11th of September, Catalans will celebrate their region, and national, identity with La Diada, which will see upwards of one million people parade through the streets of Barcelona. The demonstration, which comes after European leaders have asked for Catalans to support Spanish solidarity, is being called the ‘Gateway to the Catalan Republic’.
You can see images from last year's La Diada rallies in Barcelona below:
The people will, once again, go to the polls on September 27th, with the region’s president Artur claiming that the North-eastern region will secede from the rest of Spain if the pro-independence parties receive that mandate from the people.
