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| ANC (Catalonia) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Assemblea Nacional Catalana |
| Native name | Assemblea Nacional Catalana |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Barcelona |
| Region served | Catalonia |
| Purpose | Political advocacy for independence |
ANC (Catalonia) is a civic association founded in 2012 advocating for the independence of Catalonia. It operates across Catalonia with branches in Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona, coordinating mass mobilizations, political advocacy, and civic education. The association engages with Catalan institutions, Spanish parties, European bodies, and international movements to promote self-determination.
The association emerged after demonstrations following decisions by the Tribunal Constitucional related to the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia and in the wake of the 2010 Catalan autonomy protest. Founders included activists linked to Òmnium Cultural, former members of the Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya milieu, and organizers from grassroots platforms influenced by events such as the 15-M Movement and the Spanish financial crisis. Early mass events drew parallels with historic demonstrations like the Diada Nacional de Catalunya rallies and were shaped by leaders with backgrounds in entities such as Poblenou civic groups and student movements connected to Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The association's growth was catalyzed by coordination with municipal mayors from parties like Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and Candidatura d'Unitat Popular, and by responses to rulings from the Audiencia Nacional and interventions by the Ministerio del Interior (Spain).
The association is organized through local committees in comarcas and districts including Barcelonès, Gironès, Segrià, and Camp de Tarragona, with a central board elected by assemblies drawing participants from NGOs such as ANC Barcelona, ANC Girona, and volunteer platforms akin to Assemblea de Municipis per la Independència. Governance involves a president, a steering committee, and working commissions modeled on participatory practices seen in Amnesty International and Greenpeace chapters. It maintains liaison with municipal bodies like the Ajuntament de Barcelona and coordinates with civil society actors such as Fundació puntCat and cultural institutions including Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and media outlets like TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio.
The association's primary objective is a unilateral or negotiated declaration of independence leading to an internationally recognized Catalan state, connecting with legal instruments debated in forums like the European Court of Human Rights and referencing precedents such as the Kosovo declaration of independence and the Quebec sovereignty movement. Its ideology draws on Catalan republicanism, civic nationalism, and social-democratic currents present within parties like Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and independent sectors of Junts per Catalunya. It frames self-determination in terms of Catalan institutions such as the Parlament de Catalunya and constitutional debates involving the Constitución Española and international documents like the United Nations Charter.
The association organizes large-scale mobilizations on dates such as the Diada Nacional de Catalunya and coordinated protests paralleling actions by movements like the Arab Spring in terms of grassroots mobilization techniques. Campaigns include civic education programs in collaboration with cultural organizations like Òmnium Cultural and electoral pressure efforts targeting representatives in the Parlament de Catalunya, the Congreso de los Diputados (Spain), and municipal councils including the Ajuntament de Girona. It has run signature drives, peaceful demonstrations, and simulation exercises modeled on referendums similar to the 2014 Catalan self-determination referendum and the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, and has engaged with European institutions such as the European Parliament through delegations and petitions.
The association has been a coordinating force among pro-independence parties including Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Junts per Catalunya, and grassroots groups like Candidatura d'Unitat Popular. It played a visible role in mass mobilizations leading up to the 2014 non-binding referendum and the 2017 referendum on Catalan independence, and in campaigns responding to legal actions by the Tribunal Supremo and the Fiscalía General del Estado. The association's networking extended to international advocacy with contacts in bodies such as the Parliament of Catalonia delegations abroad and solidarity groups in regions like Scotland (Scottish National Party), Quebec (Bloc Québécois circles), and Basque Country civic movements.
Critics from parties like Partido Popular, Ciudadanos (Spain), and some factions of Socialists' Party of Catalonia have accused the association of partisanship and of exerting pressure on public institutions such as the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Guardia Civil. Legal controversies involved actions surrounding referendums that prompted interventions by the Tribunal Constitucional and prosecutions by the Audiencia Nacional and the Fiscalía General del Estado, leading to debates in forums like the European Court of Human Rights and among NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Internally, tensions have arisen akin to disputes within Òmnium Cultural and between civic groups and party structures like Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya and its successors, concerning strategy, alliances with international actors such as the European Free Alliance, and responses to judicial rulings.
Category:Politics of Catalonia Category:Organizations established in 2012