Writers, actors and musicians defend October 1 vote

Around 3,000 personalities from Catalonia’s cultural sector have signed a manifesto in support of the October 1 referendum on independence. In an event on Monday in Barcelona, writers, actors and musicians urged citizens to turn out and vote "so that culture will be the flesh and blood of the Republic."

"We invite everyone who loves and respects culture to vote with us. For democracy. For our condition as subjects of political sovereignty. For freedom. For responsibility and confidence in our future. For a decisive and strong vote to and for culture," reads the manifesto.

Up to 800 artists took part in the manifesto’s presentation, during which the text was read in Catalan and Spanish, and also foreign languages, such as English, French and German. The writers, musicians and actors said that every culture is "unique and irreplaceable," as is Catalan culture. "The extraordinary complexity and diversity of Catalan culture today, the flexibility and desire for inclusiveness which characterizes it, inspire its adaptation to the challenges of globalization," they said.