Tsunami Democràtic, Catalonia’s anonymous platform whose protests brought Barcelona airport to a standstill and blocked the border with France, asked FC Barcelona and Real Madrid to let the message “Spain, sit and talk” be shown in the stands and on the field in their upcoming match on December 18.

The group, which communicates with its almost 400,000 subscribers through the Telegram app, said earlier in the month after its sympathizers blocked major roads on the French border for three days, that its next protest action would take place on December 18.

Referring to the “exceptional” moment that Catalonia is experiencing, Tsunami Democràtic asked for the “involvement” of the two football clubs, arguing that “the world of sport cannot stand away from social problems.”

World interest

Calling the derby game between the two teams “a football match of huge interest not only in Catalonia but around the world,” the group adds that “two clubs of this magnitude cannot ignore the problems affecting the society they are part of.”

In its statement, the group says its request to the clubs is motivated by the need for “dialogue to bring the current situation of political exclusion and segregation to which a large part of the Catalan population is subject to an end.”

Citing state “persecution” in the form of “political prisoners, decrees annulling basic rights and the separation of powers, and even police violence,” the group ends by telling the clubs: “We look forward to an answer in the coming days, before issuing another statement.”