October 9th, the day of the Valencia Community came and went in a blur. At noon, a huge crowd had gathered in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento to watch the city’s flag, la Senyera, be lowered from the city hall’s balcony. The unconventional route is dictated by a tradition which says that it may not pass through a doorway nor bow to any man.
This tradition made the ensuing action all the more bitter and outrageous for the thousands of citizens who had gathered to see their flag be paraded through the city. A group of Catalan separatists had somehow managed to get into the building next to the city hall, and unfurled a gigantic flag representing the movement for Catalan independence, just as the Valencian senyera was being lowered.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I’ve been able to gather, some Catalan separatists tend to assume that Valencia belongs in their longed-for nation. This annoys Valencians, who neither want part of an independent Catalonia, nor consider themselves in any way Catalan. The intent of the separatists was to force the Valencian flag to pass underneath theirs. For about a half hour, the parade was stopped, as the city refused to bow to such chicanery. The situation got a little sketchy, as regular, justly offended Valencians were joined by black-clad and overly vehement ultra-rightwing nationalists hurling abuse at the separatists.
Eventually the Catalan group relented and raised their flag, which allowed the parade to progress as planned. After a stop at the Cathedral, it proceeded to the Parterre Park where a short ceremony was held in honor of King James — Valencia’s hero. Then, the flag was brought back to the Ayuntamiento, and honored with a loud, celebratory mascletà.
Here some pictures from the event:
More or less you have explained it well, but we must clarify that the pro-independence Catalans were also Valencian people. There is a part of Valencians that wants to be part of the Catalan nation, although most of Valencian people reject this idea and do not feel Catalan.
On the other hand, this is not a reason to reject Catalan people (you shouldn’t say no more “crema catalana for us”), as this is a political struggle. The Catalans or the Catalan independentists are not “the nasties” because of their free political will.
Congratulations for the blog and forgive me for my English!
Thanks for the clarifying comments! The whole situation is extremely confusing, with centuries of history and deeply-held convictions. We haven’t been here long enough to develop a deep understanding of the different beliefs and opinions, so we appreciate the additional info.
And don’t worry, we were just joking about the Crema de Catalan — it’s far too delicious to ever give up 🙂
Thank’s for offer us you point of view, we really apreciate it 😉
¡¡¡Valencia Is Not Catalonia!!!
may I add that our flag, called Senyera, has the honors of a queen, ’cause the king Jaume I (James I of Valencia and Aragon), it is conceded it in order that Valencia was a Kingdom for the centuries of the centuries.
And Thanks so very much for your blog.
P.s. scuse my poor english.
Best regards
But there are the same flags, no? or they looks like very similar…
Valencia was invaded by muslims, in XIII century catalans reconquered it and Valencia was repopulate with catalans. In XVIII century spaniard conquered Valencia and Catalonia and they prohibit to speak catalan in valencia and catalonia. Actually, in valencia there’s people who defends catalans and people who defend they last conquereros, the spanish. Obviosuly, the represion of people who defends catalonia in valencia was very hard in the next centuries and there’s more people who defends de spanish than de catalan.
One more thing, people with black flags who shout to the catalans in the video it’s de fascist party “Alianza Nacional”
Valencia is not Spain!
Freedom to catalonia!
Valencia is catalonia, because share history and past (integrated in the Crown of Aragón), share lenguage i culture (as it shows the universities of all the world, i share future because is a fair fight. The valencians anticatalans són usually those that are defend Spain, and the catalanist defend the independence of the catalan countries. the separatists generally are communist or left anticapitalist, or socialdemocrats, but also there is some separatistas conservative. Republican Left of Catalonia (socialdemocrats) are the party independentist more voted of cataluña.
The objective of the separatists is the contruction of the republic of the Catalan Countries, that contains the principate of catalonia, the Valencian country and the Balearic islands. Independence and socialism!
Valencia is not Spain
Valencia is not Catalonia
O.K.?
Freedom to Catalan Countries!
PPCC are not Spain!
Well, as you can see it’s a very controversial matter…
The imperialism from Catalonia never stop. Nobody in Valencia feel catalan. The fanatic and radical catalan people hide Spain and HIDE VALENCIA Kingdom and like a fascist and nazi group, if you don´t think like them….you´re fascist. This is the true. Catalan separatist are like nazi group on 40´s. They hide the freedom, our valencia freedom.
My advice, don´t believe in Catalanist people, beacuse they never listen, never respect people from others Comunitys of Spain, never talk, only hide, only hide, only hide…
STOP CATALAN IMPERIALISM!!
CATALANS GO HOME!!
¡Valencia Is Not Catalonia!
Carles,
Are you sure that Valencia was invaded by muslims, in XIII century catalans reconquered it and Valencia was repopulate with catalans?
This is a story, not history. If you documentate about it, you will see the truth: the conquerors were aragonians, exactly the “TERCIOS DE DAROCA Y TERUEL”, and less than a 5% of catalans.
A 5% of catalans can´t impose their speech to a crowd… be logical and read about it. The lies of catalanism are falling apart, day by day.
*URL removed by moderator.
Stop fucking valencian people… CATALANISM IS NAZISM.
Valencia is not CATALONIA, CATALANIST GO HOME, GO CATALONIA.
The Valencian People don’t like CATALANIST PEOLPE.
We speak Valencian language no catalan language, SOM VALENCIANS MAI CATALANS
WE NEED THE WORL HELP US TO STOP THE IMPERIALISM CATALANISM NAZISM
HELP US PLEASE.
The dangerous and radical catalan imperialism do not have really arguments to justify his stories. They are manipulating the information, THEY’RE LYING.
This group is always repudied by the Valencian people. Valencians have the information, documents, proves, etc… they have the key from his History.
The people that keep this key have the key from liberty, too.
Valencia was not conquered by catalans. Catalanism is a cancer in the Valencian society. And, dangerously, everyday more, catalanists (not catalan people) is creating more and more hate to themselves. Ther are catlanists in the Valencian Community and in Catalonia. Manipulated people.
But, like all the world knows…
VALENCIA IS NOT CATALONIA.
VALENCIAN LANGUAGE IS NOT CATALAN “LANGUAGE”
WE ARE FREE AND NEVER WILL BE SUBMITTED BY THAT IMPERIALISM.
VALENCIA IS NOT CATALONIA!
The Catalans (its governments and institutions) have already been many decades aming to construct a “nation/state/Catalan empire ”
being based fundamentally on the lie and the historical-political and social-linguistic manipulation.
The Valencian town and all its linguistic, historical and sociocultural patrimony is being vilified of a constant and premeditaded way by
the catalanist imperialism, that tries to deny the singularity of the Valencian Language, the valencianity of its classic writers and the historical nationality of the Kingdom of Valencia, among other subjects.
more text in: http://www.valenciafreedom.com/htm/truefinder/true.htm
Mpowell:
Thank you very much for your explanation about Valencian identity and Catalan imperialism. Yes, you are right: Valencian people don’t want to be Catalan any way. We are Valencian people and Catalonia only want us to be their slaves. We strongly reject Catalan colonialism and what is more: we get sick of these people!!!
Catalanist = nazis.
Valencia is nor Spain neither Catalonia.
Freedom for Valencia!
Josh
Well, I believe that all this mess shows how confusing and discussed is the collective identity of the valencian people. Because all the people that appears in the photos are valencian, and feel themself like valencians, both the unionist and the independentist. Just a little like in Northern Ireland.
But I believe that Valencia and Catalonia can be compared with Austria and Prusia/Germany.
They are two countries which share a culture and a language, they’ve been politically separated in different kingdoms for centuries, and there have been projects of unification that never succeed. In fact Valencia and Catalonia share more history that this two countires, after all James the I, the conqueror (Jaume el conqueridor), considered the Father of the Valencian Kingdom, was the count of Barcelona and a Catalan himself.
In any case, linguist and historicians all over the world have a consensus that the language spoken in València is the same that the one spoken in Catalonia. Some people talked that only a 5% of catalans were in que conquest and repopulation of Valencia. That is just a lie, without reliable fonts that could prove it.
I hope that I have achieved to show a little how is our society, out of using simplist sentences like “All unionist/spanish are chetniks” or “all separatist/catalan are nazis”.
Hello friends to look we have a problem in españa, the Catalans want to become free and with them they want to free to other communities that not queiren to become free and in addition they want to impose his(her,your) language for obligation erased(smeared) this way the nustra and you want to do that it(he,she) eliminates our history. In valency they make us learn Catalan and his(her,your) history force us! And they want that we are like they and actually(indeed) valency is not catalonia since we are very different and the history says it! Porfavor inhabitants of the world! To be informed about this and to look for information! We need very much support since españa it(he,she) does not defend us and the Valencian ones we are going out!
Hello people, I try to explain you more or less wha am I and a lot of valencian people. We are only valencian, we don’t want to be spanish, we are a nation for freedom called País Valencià (Valencian Country), we speak the same language of catalonian, balearic or andorrian people, in some places his name is catalá and in other valencià, but is the same. Our principal nationalist party is called Bloc Nacionalista Valencià http://www.bloc.ws and we try to give a better and valencian future for our sons and daughthers.
I’m sorry for my bad american or english, remember is the same, like spanish or cuban lenguage, or valencià i català.
Remember we are País Valencià a nation for freedom *!!!!
Hi, I’m valencian. “Jaume”, “Coentor”,”Freedom catalonia” and “Vicent” must be mad people. Don’t you care about them.
The valencian reality it’s taht the ancient kingdom of Valencia, was founded by Jaume I (a french king from Montpellier)and after, more people emigrated to here from Aragon, Catalonia, Navarra, France, Castilla, even from englans, Germany and Italy (I mean, not only from Catalonia) and created the actual valencian population.
Valencian people is a mixed people. It’s traditional flag (from centuries) i’ts based on the Aragon flag. The catalanist flag with the red star, it’s a catalan version (from the seventies) of the cuban flag. The people who uses that “catalonian-cuban” flag are catalonian invaders, they don’t want real independence for valencian people, they only want to change one dependence relationship (Valencia inside Madrid)by other dependence relationship (to get Valencia inside Catalonia). The valencian people don’t want to get inside Catalonia because valencians are not catalans, both regions have their own culture and traditions.
Greetings from Valencia.
Stop catalan imperialism !! King of the Valencia is not CAtalonia, Valencia is Spain, CAtalonia is Spain. Independentist catalan is minoriti people.
Hi friends, first of all, I’m sorry for my bad english, always I want to study it more but I have no time. Valencian people have a problem, and his name is Spain. Spain its really a countrie’s hail, and a lot of valencian people wants to bee free but Spain and his army (PP and PSOE) like’s to order us. Valencian people have a dream, we want to get out from our jail, Spain.
There’s a lot of countrie’s that wants to bee free on the iberic peninsule, Euskalherria, Galiza, Catalonia, Valencian Countrie, and we are figthing for get our freedom, because we have another languages diferent from the spanish, another culture diferent from the spanish, another flags and a lot of reasons for be free.
Remenber, Valencia is not Spain!
Valencia IS NOT Catalonia.
Valencia IS NOT Castile.
Valencia IS Spain.
Pro-Catalanists GO HOME!!!
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I don’t think this stuff represent anything.
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Hi to everybody from this blog,
I’m Valencian, and one important point: I’m Valencian speaker.
every linguist around the world will say to you that Valencian language is the same as Catalan language, because you can check it out in all reading books. Of course I speak different than a Catalan guy, but the differences are my accent and more or less 50 words. So we can consider we have the same language. Is obvious for any linguist.
The second point is the Valencian politicians don’t speak Valencian-Catalan (only some phrases in a obligated official acts) and they don’t have any interest and they don’t give an incentive to use or promote the language of our land.
this is a clear example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03VLk-23KqE
The political view of the local government in Valencia is to be more close to Spain and against Catalunya (Catalonia) because the kind of political party they are (conservative mind), so they have prohibited linguist in the local parliament and they have prohibited all TV channels from Catalonia because all there is in Valencian-Catalan, here we don’t have full TV in Valencian-Catalan. And the people who follows this political party is who don’t speak our language (90%) and I guess they don’t know lots of facts to define one Valencian guy culturally speaking that they are not.
I would like to say that Valencia Country have lots of cultural simils than Catalonia. We don’t have to fight agains our cultural brothers (Catalunya and Balear Islands)
Thanks