Free Catalan Territory

The Free Catalan Territory are those declared municipalities or regions of Catalonia that had approved a motion in a plenary session by the councillors of the town or the region council, as they represent the municipality's local authority. Such motions declare that Spanish laws and regulations are considered provisional, waiting for the Government and Parliament of Catalonia to enact new Catalan laws after having assumed national sovereignty, and therefore turning Catalonia into an independent state.

''Free Catalan Territory'' (in Catalan, ''Territori Català Lliure'') was the expression chosen by the councillors of Sant Pere de Torelló in order to define the ''status quo'' of the municipality on September 3, 2012, and was also the first town in Catalonia to give itself this name. From its new condition, the council of Sant Pere de Torelló announced that the October 12, holiday becomes an ordinary weekday, directly conflicting the Spanish legislation.

Since then, more municipalities joined this initiative and approved similar declarations to Sant Pere de Torelló's. Also, there are some municipalities that preferred approving independentist motions, but without explicitly declaring themselves ''Free Catalan Territory'', like Caldes de Montbui or Tàrrega.

The October 11th 2012 the first comarcal declaration was approved. The Comarcal Council of La Garrotxa approved a collective motion to declare all that region ''"Free and Sovereign Catalan Territory"''.La Garrotxa, primera comarca “lliure i sobirana”
''El Punt/Avui'', 12/10/2012 Also, the same day, the Comarcal Council of the Alt Penedès approved supporting those municipalities that approve that kind of motion, hanging an Estelada flag at the balcony of the offices of the Comarcal Council as a symbol "of Catalonia's people desires of sovereignty".

After the first month since Sant Pere de Torelló's declaration, a Catalan newspaper stated that there are approximately 660,000 "free Catalan citizens", which represent almost 9% of Catalonia's total population.

Municipalities declared Free Catalan Territory

Since September 3, 2012, 197 Catalan municipalities and five Comarcal councils have declared themselves Free Catalan Territory, representing approximately 20.2% of whole Catalonia's lands.

See also

* Catalan independence
* Assemblea Nacional Catalana
* Association of Municipalities for Independence
* Catalan independence referendums, 2009–2011
* 2012 Catalan independence demonstration

References

{{reflist, 3

External links

Analysis of the situation
Miguel-Anxo Murado for Russia Today news channel, as can be seen on YouTube

Fabrega and several other town mayors in the Catalan region have declared independence from Spain, calling themselves the "Free Catalan Territory"
for Reuters, as can be seen in Yahoo.

Catalonia
Catalan independence movement
Separatism in Spain