50 years on from first National Day celebrations after Franco dictatorship

This National Day marks the 50th anniversary of the first such Catalan celebration in the wake of the death of dictator Francisco Franco. 

Ten months had passed since the death of Franco, with his regime and much of its structure still intact, when Catalonia first publicly celebrated its September 11 National Day.

In 1976, the first major celebration of the Diada following four decades of dictatorship could not take place in Barcelona. Instead, it was held in Sant Boi de Llobregat, after the civil government granted last-minute authorization for an event originally planned for Ciutadella Park.

For a generation that had previously only experienced National Day commemorations in secret, the public display was a historic moment.

"It was a great victory for democracy," says lawyer Magda Oranich, who witnessed the day and recounted her memories to the Catalan News Agency.

Following Franco's Nationalist victory in the Civil War, the September 11 festivity, which originated as a Catalanist celebration in the late 19th century and evolved into a day of major political mobilization during the Second Republic, was banned.

Throughout the dictatorship, some commemorations were held covertly, taking the form of gatherings that frequently ended in police crackdowns.

"The typical scene involved a few of us meeting in the city center and unfurling Catalan flags, then the police would arrive, and everyone would scatter," recalls Oranich, a founding member of the Assembly of Catalonia.

However, the death of Francisco Franco on November 20, 1975, did not immediately usher in democracy. Freedom of assembly and demonstration were still restricted.

On August 10, 1976, the Council of Political Forces of Catalonia formally established the September 11th Commission, tasked with preparing the commemoration.

The Catalan democratic opposition’s aim was to hold a unified Diada celebration that would serve to "end" their clandestine status, according to Miquel Sellarès, another founding member of the Assembly of Catalonia. "We needed to come out in the open, to take to the streets in an orderly fashion."

The location initially chosen was Barcelona’s Ciutadella Park, a space heavy with symbolism. Following the Catalan defeat of 1714, Philip V had ordered the construction of a fortress there to control the city.

However, with only five days remaining until the day, the civil government announced that the event would not be authorized in Barcelona, fearing it could trigger a massive mobilization. 

For the organizers, giving up on Barcelona was an acceptable concession in exchange for being able to celebrate September 11th publicly. "You have to realize that no Diada had ever been authorized before," the lawyer points out. 

Neus Alzina, a resident of Dosrius who attended the gathering, admits there was concern at home. “My parents kept telling me, ‘Don’t go, don’t go, there may be trouble.’” 

“We felt a certain sense of calm,” explains Josep Puig, another person present in Sant Boi. “Although we couldn't be entirely at ease, because coming out of the Franco era, any kind of problem could arise.”

Despite this, the turnout was massive. Actress Pepa Arenós, who hosted the event, recounts arriving at Plaça de Catalunya in Sant Boi, where the gathering was scheduled for 5pm.

“I took the train with the crowds. We got off at Sant Boi and walked together. So many people. The square in Sant Boi was packed and the trains were full,” she explains.

Plaça de Catalunya in Sant Boi buzzed with the speeches of the speakers. The strength of the Sant Boi gathering stemmed not only from the number of attendees but also from its ability to bring together widely diverse political sectors. What united those people was Catalanism, but also opposition to the Franco regime and the determination to secure democratic freedoms, amnesty for prisoners, and self-government.