"Catalan, Catalan, Catalan"

PalmJust one word, though, uttered three times and with emphasis, "Catalan, Catalan, Catalan," remains the most notable episode—apart from the mobilization itself—of the historic demonstration for autonomy that took place in Palma on October 29, 1977, almost half a century ago. It was uttered by Josep Maria Llompart, in response to those who had demanded the colloquial term "Mallorcan" for what, after all, is the same language. We remember that event and Llompart's speech when we commemorate, this year, the centenary of the birth of the poet, critic, and cultural activist.

The call for autonomy on the Catalan National Day was supposed to be the culmination of the Catalan Culture Congress, a series of activities organized in different territories since 1975. It was in this context that the proposal emerged and gradually took shape with the participation of unions and political parties: from the Organization of the historic Communist Party of Spain (PCE) to the then Popular Alliance (now the People's Party), represented by Abel Matutes. The philologist and cultural manager Antoni Mir, then 21 years old, who was representing the OEC, assures that "the driving force" of that initiative was the writer and activist Antoni Serra.

These were times of intense political activity, with episodes that followed one another in just a few months, or even weeks: the signing of the "autonomy pact" by almost all the parties running in the June 1977 elections, by which they committed to demanding self-government for the Balearic Islands; the elections, with the Democratic Centre Union (UCD) coalition as the most voted party; the constitution of the assembly of elected parliamentarians—deputies and senators—then the only democratic representation of the islanders, since the provincial council and town councils were still Francoist; and the return, with full honors, of the remains of the republican deputy and autonomist leader Gabriel Alomar.

Josep Maria Llompart, along with philologist Aina Moll, Joan Oliver, and Antoni Serra, formed a committee with the goal of raising the necessary funds to cover the expenses that would inevitably arise from the planned massive mobilization. Contacts with union and political forces seemed to be going well. Serra recounts in his memoirs that even a young representative of the UCD "supported the most advanced or seemingly leftist proposals." "It's a shame that not all the 'UCEDiera' are of the same persuasion," Llompart commented with his proverbial irony.

The example of September 11

Catalonia provided the mirror in which to look at themselves—one more peak—for the first free September 11th since the Second Republic. On the following 29th, the state government provisionally reestablished the Generalitat (Catalan Generalitat)—what was then called "pre-autonomy," because autonomy as such could not exist until the Constitution, which was to regulate how it would be constructed, was first approved. On October 23rd, the then president-in-exile, Josep Tarradellas, uttered his legendary "I'm here." At his side was Antoni Sbert, a Mallorcan from Mallorca, a former councilor of the Republican Generalitat. The widespread enthusiasm was such that even the Provincial Council of the Balearic Islands—still Francoist, as has been said—congratulated the Catalans on the restoration of their self-government. Surreal situations, very typical of the transition.

Just a week before the date chosen for the demonstration, on October 22, 1977, he visited Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza with the then Minister for the Regions, Manuel Clavero Arévalo. According to the newspaper Balearics, had received a draft pre-autonomy proposal from the island's parliamentarians, the same as had already been established in Catalonia. The minister hedged his bets: "Each island must have its autonomy." The eternal misgivings of the "smaller islands" toward the "larger" one were public and notorious. Indeed, it was announced from Menorca that they would hold their own Diada, although they ultimately sent a large delegation to Palma. Something similar happened in the Pitiusas. Their senator, Abel Matutes, did not attend.

On October 25, an event occurred that, in a way, constituted the prologue to the immediately following Diada. It commemorated the anniversary of the Battle of Llucmajor—October 25, 1349—in which James III of Majorca had lost his life and his kingdom. The Seu de Mallorca and the Plaza de la Almoina served as the setting for an event in which the then mayor of Palma, Paulí Buchens—still within the structure of the dictatorship, but clearly committed to change—presented the flag of the 'kingdom in the middle of the sea' to the president of the parliamentary assembly, Sen. Buchens. The latter quoted the words of James III himself: "No one can take away my hope."

The commemoration of Llucmajor on October 25th had already been initiated by Palma City Council three years earlier, in 1974. Now it was transformed into a day to demand self-government. But it was overly connoted with anti-Catalanism—supposed island 'independence' versus 'dependence' on Barcelona—and that didn't continue.

Everything seemed to be going well, as far as the preparations for the Diada were concerned. It was agreed that four speeches would be made: a presentation by Antoni Serra; a speech by Aina Moll, representing cultural entities; another by Minister Ferran Gomila, representing the unions; and a final one by Josep Maria Llompart, unanimously proposed by the political forces as a consensus figure. Yes, everything seemed to be going... too well. Antoni Serra, as he himself recalled a few years later, confided his fears to Llompart: "Do you think this land is different now?" "Don't you think it's time for it to look like a country?" Llompart replied, adding prudently: "Anyway, the story isn't over yet."

UCD asks for Antoni Serra's boss

Indeed, such a good understanding could never be achieved. The night before the Diada, when only details were supposed to be ironed out, the UCD dropped the bombshell: they only wanted one speech and demanded Antoni Serra's "boss," that is, his exclusion. So he himself resigned and went home. It was approximately two in the morning on that 29-O, which was supposed to be historic.

The next morning, Aina Moll and Antoni Mir went to speak with Serra. An agreement had been reached. in extremis: her speech was omitted—precisely, the only one by a woman: those were different times, certainly worse in that sense—and the interventions of Gomila and Llompart were maintained... and that of Serra, if he accepted, of course. He didn't see it clearly. Or rather, very murky. Mir remembers now: "I told him to do it for the left, that they couldn't be left without their voice, and finally he accepted."

That day, Palma was a party. The shops sold Mallorcan flags from August to October. The City Council set up free transport routes. Buses arrived from the Part Forana. However, another surreal counterpoint could not be missing: the 'José Antonio Circles'—obviously not very in tune with the autonomist demand—were calling for the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the Falange on the same day. Although, given that the demonstration was scheduled to start at six in the evening and this event was announced for 8:30 p.m., anyone who was unsure had time to attend both.

The demonstration was a torrent of people on its way from Plaça Espanya to Plaça Mayor, where the day was scheduled to end. In the front row, the elected parliamentarians, including Jeroni Albertí, Félix Pons, Manuel Mora and Emilio Alonso, and very close behind, the mayor of Palma, Paulí Buchens. It is estimated that between 12,000 and 30,000 people attended, a historic figure. Although perhaps not everyone was clear about the objective of the mobilization: the jurist Román Piña Homs recalled, in a 2002 interview, The World/Balearic Islands Day, as a group of protesters chanted "we want the institute," not "we want the Statute of Autonomy." Because that's what they wanted: a school for their neighborhood of Camp Rodó, in Palma. Incidentally, it's called Josep Maria Llompart. A white marble plaque in the Plaza Mayor commemorates that historic mobilization.

And it was in the Plaza Mayor, when Josep Maria Llompart was referring to "the Catalan language," that the disagreement arose. Some of the protesters responded "Mallorcan," as that's how it's always been referred to in Mallorca, colloquially. To which Llompart insisted: "Catalan, Catalan, Catalan," using the scientific name. Luckily, someone with half a brain announced another slogan: "Unity, unity," and things were put back on track.

The Diada for autonomy was certainly a success, and Llompart himself expressed his astonishment at the massive response to the call. However, he qualified this: "Whether the people are well informed is another matter."

Information compiled from the memoirs of Antoni Serra, texts by Miquel Payeras, Antoni Nadal, and Gabriel Ensenyat, the collective volume Memoria Viva (Living Memory), and contemporary Mallorcan newspapers.