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| ANC (Catalan National Assembly) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Assemblea Nacional Catalana |
| Native name | Assemblea Nacional Catalana |
| Abbreviation | ANC |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Barcelona |
| Leaders | Jordi Sànchez; Jordi Cuixart |
| Website | Official website |
ANC (Catalan National Assembly) is a grassroots civic organization founded in 2012 that advocates for the independence of Catalonia from Spain. It has organized mass demonstrations, coordinated civil society actions, and influenced political debate in Catalonia, interacting with parties such as Convergence and Union, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Ciutadans, Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, and institutions like the Parliament of Catalonia and the Generalitat of Catalonia. The Assembly has been a central actor in events connected to legal episodes involving the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the Tribunal Constitucional (Spain), and high-profile arrests related to the 2017 referendum.
The organization emerged after the 2010 Catalan autonomy protest and the 2012 Catalan independence demonstration, founded by activists from movements linked to Òmnium Cultural, ANC (founders) and local civic platforms. Early mobilizations paralleled electoral cycles including the 2012 Catalan regional election and followed pivotal moments such as the 2014 Catalan self-determination referendum and the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Its trajectory intersected with judicial and political responses from the Spanish Government (2011–2018), the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), and interventions by the Supreme Court of Spain over charges tied to the 2017 events. Key public figures associated with the movement have included activists linked to demonstrations at Plaça de Catalunya, supporters of municipal mayors like those in Barcelona, and leaders who later faced legal processes related to sedition and rebellion cases.
ANC is structured with a national assembly, territorial branches in comarques such as Girona (comarca), Tarragona (comarca), Lleida (comarca), and local chapters in towns across Catalonia. Governance includes an executive committee, assembly delegates, and working commissions focused on mobilization, communication, and strategy. The group interfaces with cultural entities like Òmnium Cultural and civil institutions such as local town councils and municipal platforms in Badalona, Sabadell, and Terrassa. Leadership has evolved through internal elections and assemblies where activists from neighborhood platforms, trade unionists linked to unions like Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores, and municipal councilors coordinate. The ANC also maintains liaison with advocacy groups in the Basque Country, Galicia, and European networks involving actors in Brussels and international NGOs.
ANC’s core position is unilateral or negotiated independence for Catalonia, advocating pathways debated in arenas like the Parliament of Catalonia and in coordination with parties including Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and sections of Junts per Catalunya. Campaigns have included calls for referendums modeled after the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and public pressure on the European Union to recognize Catalan claims. The Assembly has promoted civil disobedience tactics inspired by historical movements such as the Solidarity (Poland) campaign and has engaged with legal proposals seeking changes to the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia (2006). It has publicly opposed positions of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and People's Party (Spain) leaders when those parties resisted independence initiatives.
ANC has organized large-scale demonstrations such as the annual mobilizations often titled with symbolic dates and locations like Diada Nacional de Catalunya (National Day of Catalonia), mass human chains echoing the Catalan Way, and protests around institutions including the Spanish Congress of Deputies and consulates. Actions have ranged from peaceful marches in Plaça d'Espanya and Avinguda Diagonal to civil disobedience campaigns targeting logistics and municipal procedures. The Assembly coordinated participation in symbolic events referencing historical sites like Montserrat (mountain) and civic forums held at venues such as Palau Sant Jordi. During the 2017 referendum period, activities included organizing polling locations, information campaigns, and coordination with municipal civil protection services.
Funding sources have included membership fees, donations, merchandising sales, and fundraising events with support from grassroots supporters in cities like Barcelona, Girona, and Reus. The ANC has reported contributions from diaspora groups in Perpignan, London, Brussels, and communities in the United States and Argentina. International relations efforts involved outreach to institutions such as the European Parliament, diplomatic meetings in Geneva and Strasbourg, and contacts with independence movements and parties in places like Scotland, the Basque Country, and Flanders. The Assembly has sought recognition and moral support from politicians including members of the European Parliament and international NGOs concerned with self-determination.
Critics have accused the Assembly of polarizing Catalan society, clashing with institutions like the Tribunal Constitucional (Spain) and provoking legal action by the Audiencia Nacional and the Fiscalía General del Estado. Controversies include debates over alleged misuse of public resources, tensions with municipal administrations controlled by the Partit Popular (Spain), and claims of undermining rule-of-law principles defended by legal bodies such as the Constitutional Court of Spain. High-profile arrests and imprisonment of leaders prompted international statements from human rights organizations and interventions by legal advocates in forums like the European Court of Human Rights.
ANC reshaped Catalan politics by mobilizing mass participation that influenced electoral outcomes in contests such as the 2015 Catalan regional election and the 2017 regional political crisis, strengthening pro-independence coalitions and shifting the agenda in the Parliament of Catalonia. Its sustained campaigns affected municipal politics in cities like Barcelona and altered relations between Catalan institutions and the Spanish Government (2018–2019). The Assembly’s legacy includes institutional debates on referendums, internationalization of the Catalan cause, and ongoing legal and political disputes involving actors such as the Supreme Court of Spain, European institutions, and civil society organizations across the Iberian Peninsula.