PSC reaffirms commitment to democratic Catalanism
Catalan President Salvador Illa attended a public event in Sant Boi de Llobregat on Wednesday 9 September 2026, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 National Day of Catalonia (Diada) demonstration. The gathering marked the moment when around 100,000 people marched under the slogans 'liberty, amnesty and autonomy', one of the largest pro-democracy rallies in Catalonia since the end of the Spanish Civil War, according to eyewitness accounts from the time. Illa, leader of the Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSC), used the occasion to defend what he described as a unifying, democratic form of Catalanism. He framed the original 1976 demands as foundational to modern Catalan self-government and praised the amnesty law approved by the Spanish Parliament in 2024 as a necessary correction to past legal repression.
Amnesty law hailed as democratic milestone
The amnesty law, which received broad support in the Catalan Parliament despite initial PSC opposition, has been justified by Illa as a constitutional measure that upholds coexistence as a supreme social good. In a prior official statement published on govern.cat, Illa welcomed the Constitutional Court's full validation of the law, stating it was 'entirely constitutional'. Historical context for the amnesty stems from political trials following the 2017 independence referendum. Illa once opposed such measures but now argues they are essential for social healing. As noted in a June 2024 government document, the shift reflects a broader political transformation: what was once declared impossible, including amnesty, has now become law.
Celebration of democratic revival
Sant Boi Mayor Lluïsa Moret joined Illa at the commemorative act, highlighting how the 1976 rally transformed her hometown into a symbol of democratic resurgence. At the time, civil authorities had relocated the Diada to Sant Boi expecting lower turnout, but were met with an overwhelming wave of citizens crossing the Llobregat River, so numerous they blocked access routes. Maria Lluïsa Ferrer, a participant in 1976 and former activist in L’Hospitalet, recalled the day with deep emotion: 'We had not seen anything like this before, we felt euphoric, empowered.' She later served as deputy mayor with the PSC in L’Hospitalet. The 50th anniversary included a popular procession organised by the Sant Boi town council, accessible via santboi.cat, celebrating the legacy of civic mobilisation that helped restore Catalan institutions after Franco’s dictatorship.
Primary sources: eb.gencat.cat, govern.cat, santboi.cat, xac.gencat.cat, patrimoni.gencat.cat. Reported by en.ara.cat, liniaxarxa.cat, lavanguardia.com, ikidata.org, diariosigloxxi.com, elnacional.cat, president.cat, ca.wikipedia.org, es.wikipedia.org, John McAulay, socialistes.cat, elperiodico.com.
