-Dominican Republic, diguim
-Good afternoon, could you speak with Mr. Toni Tamayo, please?
-Dominican Republic, diguim [speaks Catalan very quickly]
- Mr. Toni Tamayo ...?
Mr. Toni Tamayo has received so many calls from pranksters this afternoon that he has decided to troll the troll , directly. "I already say anything: Catalan Republic, Dominican Republic ... What's more?" Luckily, he likes the female voice on the other side of the phone and agrees to dedicate a few minutes before putting on his uniform and leaving for the third day of protests over the sentence of the process, which sentences the leaders between nine and 13 years Independents who encouraged the 1-O consultation.
The uniform is what brings us to this talk. Frayed jeans shorts , t-shirt with provocative message (then we will return to this), and the jewel in the crown: a pair of cowboy leather boots decorated with the stellar , the Catalan independence flag.
His quirky look and reply has immediately caught the attention of social networks. A cowboy is not seen every day walking in the midst of chaos . Because Toni walks between burning barricades and police charges with his mobile in his hand, direct from Facebook after direct from Facebook. "These days I feel a little reporter," he says, not without pride.
But he is not a reporter, no. Toni Tamayo is the perfect definition of the well-behaved entrepreneur . 13 companies have this Barcelona, all for sale, both online and in person. The majority are items of Yankee aesthetics. "No, no, they are southern motives," I corrected, "Trump roll. What people don't like, I love it." Now, he clarifies, "nothing to do with slavery."
The pretty girl of his products for sale are undoubtedly the boots that he himself wears. There is no better billboard than to star in the prime time of the protests in Barcelona. It all started with the explosion of the process , shortly before 1-O. Everything is invented, one day Toni reflected, and the light went on: why not join his two great passions, deep America and Catalonia? He spoke with a "prestigious" Catalan footwear firm, he proposed to design cowboy boots with independence motifs, they thought it was good and the Independence Boots were born, for sale at Wallapop for 600 euros.
1,500 boots sold after the DUI
They are leather and quality invoice, justifies the price. "We have all sizes for men and women independentistas or Catalans to 100 X 100". And they are sold, go if they are sold. The cowboy does not keep track of what he is wearing but gives a figure as an orientation: on October 11, 2017, the day after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Catalonia, he was commissioned 1,500 units .
"They are expensive, we are rebellious but classist," he says, "people want to have what the neighbor doesn't have." Fortunately, his boots still have a halo of exclusivity and it has never been given that wearing them he has met another owner. But wearing him sneakers, yes. Repeatedly. The most curious, also the first, was in Madrid, during the first demonstration in support of the "political prisoners."
About 150 people marched through the Castellana, escorted by the police, and saw him in the distance. He was a civilian, did not want problems on the Ave or when leaving Atocha. He approached and suggested a: "I like your boots." The rest imagine it, they made good crumbs. The Boots Independence model looks stellar , yes, but by next fall Toni Tamayo has already prepared a Estelada model, proper, "with more vivid colors and another improved style."
"I do everything for the cause," says the Catalan, in case there was any doubt. No need to ask him for the shirt that crowned his look in the middle of the fire since Monday: "I am Catalan, not a shitty Spaniard," he says, " visca Catalunya ." "The Catalan people are fed up, with all due respect to the Spanish people," he explains, "the prisoners have been convicted of unfair causes. They supported us to go to vote, and we voted. We should all be in jail."
A few hours later, and effectively turned into what the networks have baptized as Captain Catalonia , we find him doing one of his live shows while a crane takes a van from the Mossos d'Esquadra that has not survived the night of war bell. Before he has run in front of the Brimo , he has helped to take out the injured, he has chanted slogans, the fire has jumped ... And everything is perfectly documented by thousands of mobiles.
Last spring, Toni went to First Dates in search of love. It did not work. "I'm still single, do you think so?" He is a hopeless romantic and proud "dad" of a cocker named Miss Perlita . She accompanies him in the demonstrations, also dressed in a little black shirt with her star . When "the mess" begins, he takes it home by motorcycle, yes. Thursday is long and Toni prepares. Your boots and a new night of claims await you.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more- Barcelona
- Catalonia
- Catalonia independence
- Violence Catalonia
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