Spanish State Prison of Peoples Photo

Photographer’s Note

The title is the translation of the banner being carried by catalan nationalist protesters in Barcelona on an otherwise quiet Sunday afternoon.

Spain is not an homogeneous country. In fact it is a mosaic of different peoples who speak different languages the main ones being Castillian (known as spanish and spoken most widely in spain as well as by about 400 million people worldwide), Catalan (spoken in Catlunya), Euskera (spoken in the basque region), Gallego (Spoken in Galicia) and Valenciano (spoken in Valencia).

During the Franco regime, regional cultures and languages were severely repressed. After Franco, local languages have enjoyed a renaissance, and the spanish political system has become increasingly descentralized giving more and more power to different regions, particularly to Catalunya and the Basque Region.

There are many people in these regions who feel as the protesters do that the spanish state holds their fredom and culture hostage and would like outright independance.

My personal feeling is (and I am not Spanish) that it is silly in this ever globalizing world to think in such parrochial terms, that people should look outward and not inward, and that the Spanish state for all its faults, is not such a bad state to belong too, and this one understands after travelling to other places.

I believe that it is possible to cultivate diversity within a nation without going through the painful process of separation. But then again what do I know?

bertolucci, Tue, alvaraalto, nerve, oterrada, kLe, rtome has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

naxius (16679) 2005-03-25 7:55

Hello Daniel,
This is never easy to follow up a protestor event but here, you did it clearly well.
We can understand the message protestors are giving to the world.
Very good.
Bravo!
Alex

alexlie (5359) 2005-03-25 11:05

Hi Daniel!
I like this photo. You are good reporter :) This is indeed hard, not easy work... but you make this well :)
Regards.

bertolucci (12014) 2005-03-25 16:31

Hi Daniel, this is a striking capture of this nationalist contestation in Barcelona. It's very interesting to examine the emotion of the protestors behind their banner. There's commitment, fun and also strong emotion. These regional/nationalist sentiments are as you state yourself often deeply rooted in the the social and economic history of the state and paradoxical seem to get stronger in the current proces of internationalization....
Good job & note!

Tue (25608) 2005-03-25 19:18

Thank you for this very informative note! I like your picture with all the people on it, well done, good idea too! :-D

alvaraalto (5303) 2005-03-27 18:29

Very good info with a great illustration of the oicture. Well done.

nerve (10212) 2005-04-13 7:17

its very well caught Daniel, a hard work, a great documentation. even if the subject is serious, there is a kind of easiness in the atmosphere here..
i like it a lot.
bw

kLe (2039) 2005-11-14 14:42

Bueno. La foto no tiene mucha dificultad salvo la poder ponerse delante de la masa sin miedo a ser atropellado. Es también ilustrativa para tu nota, que encuentro excelente. Me alegra lo que dices en ella porque demuestras un gran conocimiento sobre España y porque estoy de acuerdo en todo lo que dices.
Yo, cómo tú, he vivido en el extranjero (en Suiza) y he aprendido a apreciar lo bueno y malo de mi propio pais desde la distancia. Creo que los separatismos son inducidos por políticos egoistas y ambiciosos. Ya sabes que se dice. Más vale ser cabeza de ratón que cola de león. En cuanto a la pancarta, realmente lamentable. Estoy seguro de que a muchos de los que proclaman esa consigna no les importa tener prisionero al pueblo español.

iamxa (2840) 2005-11-29 6:41

Hola Daniel,

Jo soc catala. La foto realment no te molta dificultat, pero la teva nota, sense cap mena de tint politic, es molt correcta i que jo estic totalment a favor. Les dictadures son terribles i les seves consequencies tambe. Gracies per explicar a tothom una realitat.

saharafree (0) 2006-03-24 17:37