For Bou, and many Catalans regardless of their age, a discussion about independence isn't complete without mentioning the brutality of Spain's civil war, which began in 1936, and the Franco period, which lasted from 1939 to 1975. [...]
The Franco government was responsible for a wide gamut of human rights abuses and was known for its efforts to homogenise Spain. Catholicism was the only state-sanctioned religion. Minority languages and culture, such as Catalan, were made illegal. [...]
"I quickly realised they were the same dogs with different collars," Bou said of post-Franco Spanish politicians. "Nothing changed … so in the [first free] elections in 1977, I didn't vote."
Though there is no official count of the people killed or disappeared during the Franco government, Human Rights Watch (HRW) placed the number at more than 100,000 between 1936 and 1951. [...]
If the Spanish government does enact Article 155 and national police are again sent to Catalonia, Soler said Catalan people would "take the path of Gandhi. It's the only choice we have."
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