Opening of the exhibition «55 ballot boxes for freedom»

What a day! At 5 pm we had an appointment at place de la Victoire, in front of the Castillet, to present the photographs from the exhibition 155 pictures for freedom. The exact same number of people marched from this place, each participant holding one of those photographs, until the Maison de la Catalanité. Many photographers and journalists were there to cover the event.

President Quim Torra also was there and witnessed the demonstration. Before that, though, he had met the mayor of Perpignan, Jean-Marc Pujol, who welcomed him with a yellow ribbon pinned on his jacket, and signed the petition to support Catalan political prisoners and exiles.

The afternoon ended up with the opening of the 55 ballot boxes for freedom exhibition, at the Maison de la Catalanité. Unfortunately, there was not enough room for every one. The authorities (including Quim Torra and Hermeline Malherbe, president of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales) saw the exhibition, before speeches began. Minister of culture Lluís Puig and President Carles Puigdemont took the floor from Brussels, and regretted they could not be physically present with us, though they keep confident they will soon join us here in Northern Catalonia. Hervé Pi also spoke in name of the Catalan Solidary Committee, along with both curators of the exhibition, Esteve Sabench and Fina Duran, and finally Quim Torra.

Afterwards the musicians from Northern Catalonia Pere Figueres («the voice of Northern Catalonia» according to Esteve Sabench) and Pasqual Comelade («an eclectic musician, the only one who plays the republicanophone»)  gave a concert.

The ceremony and the exhibition are a clear success, an example of what Northern Catalonia can bring to its southern counterpart.