COMITE F.L.A.C PERPIGNAN / PYRENEES-ORIENTALES

Operación Viard

"On the palace's stairs… "

Personalidades catalanas que nos acompañan (moralmente) en la lucha

OPERACIÓN VIARD

Jueves 3 de marzo de 2005 El cronista taurino André Viard venía aquel día a Cataluña francesa para la presentación de sus libro " Tierras taurinas " en una librería de Perpiñan. El Comité había anunciado en seguida una comunicación alrededor de esta nueva promoción de la corrida en la ciudad del " Centro del mundo ". La misma mañana, el periódico regional El Independiente relevaba el Comité, difundiendo la invitación para participar con una presencia digna, cerca de la librería en el trascurso de la tarde, con difusión de octavillas específicas y firma de peticiones. Hacia las 18 horas, los simpatizantes estaban presentes, desafiando una tramontana fuerte y particularmente glacial. La calle que llevaba a la librería era muy estrecha, André Viard y su equipo directivo debió pasar entre los en contra fingiendo ignorarlos. En la sala puesta a disposición por la librería, una veintena de admiradores aproximadamente, entre los que estaban dos en contra, estando allí en calidad de testigos. En el momento de su pasaje, el periodista de France Bleu Roussilon que conversó con el Comité Perpiñan, dio la impresión de estar seducido con la proposición de un debate entre los "pro" y los "en contra ". Asunto que hay que seguir...

Consequently to our presence at the introduction of the feria de Millas in the " Palais des Rois de Majorque " (palace of the Kings of Mallorca) in Perpignan a project of "letters to the editor" sent to two newspapers in the départment of Pyrennées Orientales was devised by a campaigner. " Aux marches du palais ... " (famous song) (" On the palace's stairs… ")

Monday 07.25.05, Mr Christian Bourquin, President of the Conseil Général, regional advisor, Vice President of the Regional Counsel, former socialist MP for the département of Pyrénées Orientales (north Cataluña), … and I have probably omitted some of his titles, Mr Christian Bourquin, had invited "his" guests, that Monday, to the "Palais des Rois de Majorque". To have a party what for? To promote the corrida of Millas taking place on August 7th. Who was invited? One might think that all Catalan tax payers were, particularly those who like bulls. But no! We were about fifty people, smiling, with documents proving that we are Catalan tax payers in our pockets, animal enthusiasts in general but bull enthusiasts in particular, and we were not allowed to enter the palace to applaud to this kind Mr Bourquin. The summit was that this party had been financed with our taxes. We were prevented from entering in by a private ( !) security firm. On the other hand I saw, among others, a man for the department of Marne, who had not been invited (he told me so) be let in without a problem. I do not hate these nice people of Marne, but was not this going a bit too far ? I was wearing a white shirt and a Catalan suit, whereas he was wearing a stained T-shirt. I pay my taxes here and am not allowed in; he does not pay taxes here and is allowed in. How do I know that he was from the département of Marne? It's quite simple: "51" (i.e. the number of the département) was printed on his T-shirt. This nice Mr Bourquin, a socialist MP, who let an MP from the UMP party build his high school in Canet while he had promised one in the south of the département and another one in the north, this nice Mr Bourquin, who allows a "septimaniac" (sometimes inhabitants of the department Languedoc-Roussillon are called so) to change the name of our region, this nice Mr Bourquin, who lets the Catalans be insulted in a French dialect, this nice Mr Bourquin on the palace's stairs mumbled, as we were trying to tell him that we supported the fiesta in Millas but not so the corrida, this nice Mr Bourquin mumbled to us : "The people needs to have fun". Citizens of Millas, citizens of the Oriental Pyrenees, Catalans my brothers, be informed that your taxes are used to torture bulls because " The people needs have fun ". Stupid thing ! (I am referring to the people, of course). Gérard Geiger