Police in Catalonia Oust Pro-Independence Protesters from Major Highway

According To Iran News, Spanish police on Wednesday cleared out scores of protesters supporting Catalan independence who had trapped around 500 vehicles while blocking a major highway for more than 15 hours.

Regional and national police said they had dislodged around 200 protesters who had shut traffic on both sides of the AP-7 highway near Girona, a city with a strong Catalan pro-independence movement.

Some protesters waved separatist flags while others sported sleeping mats. Protesters burned tyres and branches as police approached early on Wednesday. Some threw small objects at police, but most walked away peacefully.

A secretive protest group called Democratic Tsunami claimed responsibility for the disruption, while another separatist group known as CDR said it had supported the protest, Reuters reported.

Both are eager to press the case for secession, days after a national election delivered a deeply fragmented parliament that offers separatist parties a chance to play a role in unblocking the political stalemate in Madrid.

On Tuesday, French riot police used tear gas to force out protesters who spent more than 24 hours blocking the same highway where it straddles France and Spain, in a disruption also organized by Democratic Tsunami. Spanish and French police arrested 19 people, officials said.

Asked Wednesday in the Catalan parliament about the potential impact of the border protest, Catalan regional leader Quim Torra said his government guarantees “security, freedom of circulation … and the right to protest”, stressing that protests were prompted by a “political conflict” with Spain.

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According To Iran News, The vast majority of Catalonia’s almost 1,000 mayors on Saturday urged authorities in Madrid to grant the region the right to determine its own future, as crowds of separatists readied for a protest march in Barcelona later in the day.

The Catalan capital has been convulsed by almost two weeks of daily demonstrations since nine politicians and activists were jailed for between nine and 13 years for their role in an independence bid in 2017 that Spain’s courts had declared illegal.

Mayors representing 814 of the region’s 947 local authorities gathered at the headquarters of the regional government to present its leader Quim Torra with a document whose core message – liberty for political prisoners, dialogue and self-determination – they had all endorsed.

To chants of “independence”, Torra said: “Your presence is a sign of unity, a unity that is necessary and that we need to maintain against repression.

“We have to be capable of creating a republic of free men and woman … And overcoming the confrontational dynamic with a constructive one.”

The gathering marked the opening act of a day of protest due to culminate in a march through the city centre that organizers Assemblea Nacional Catalana and Omnium Cultural – grassroots groups whose leaders are among the nine serving jail terms – hope will draw the largest crowds of any demonstration since the sentences were passed.

Both groups say they are committed to peaceful protests, but some of last week’s marches were marred by violence, including clashes between demonstrators and police.

In an interview with Reuters last week, Torra called on Madrid to open talks with a view to the region holding a second referendum.

Spain’s main parties, including the minority Socialist government, have consistently rejected any moves towards secession, a stance they have reiterated in recent days as the country gears up for a national election on Nov. 10.

Catalonia’s electorate is itself split over the issue of independence, and supporters of continued unity with Spain will hold a rival rally in Barcelona on Sunday that the leaders of the country two main centre-right parties, PP and Ciudadanos, are due to attend.

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This activity was very limited because many of Catalans believed that, despite being autonomous, there was no place for a claim for independence from Spain. However, over time, we witnessed the intensification of the economic crisis in Catalonia, on the one hand, and the increase in the activities of the separatists on the other. However, many experts, after the 2006 referendum, predicted that the desire for independence of the inhabitants of Catalonia would once again become a major hardship for the Madrid government. Perhaps it would have been wise for the right-wing and socialist parties in Spain to have better policies towards Catalonia. They should have taken the necessary precautions to prevent the realization of the current situation.

OUSTED Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has declared victory in the region’s elections this evening as early counts suggest pro-independence parties are set to win a majority.

As express reported, The result will put Catalonia on a collision course with Madrid, which stripped the region of its autonomy in October.Pro-independence parties Together for Catalonia, Republican Left of Catalonia and Popular Unity are set to win 70 seats between them, giving them a large majority in the 135 seat Parliament.
Addressing voters from Belgium, where Mr Puigdemont is in a self-imposed exile, he declared that the election meant that the “Catalan republic” had won.An aide to Mr Puigdemont sent a Whatsapp message to journalists as news of the results broke saying: “As you see, we are the comeback kids.”

The former Catalan leader had vowed to return to his home country if the separatist parties won a majority.So far more than 95 per cent of the votes have been counted.The pro-unity Citizens party is the largest party with 36 seats, however, they have conceded defeat.The result means the future of Spain and Catalonia is once again uncertain after the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said prior to the ballot that he would consider re-imposing direct rule it if a new government again pursues independence “illegally”.

Mr Rajoy called the Parliamentary election after Mr Puigdemont’s Government won a referendum on Catalan independence in October.The result prompted a unilateral declaration of independence from the northern region of Spain.However, the Madrid Government said the poll was unconstitutional, called the declaration null and void and arrested Catalan politicians who supported independence.In his address Mr Puigdemont said: “Rajoy’s method has failed to stop the independence movement”.

“Despite the difficulties we have faced, the absolute majority of independence continues.”

He added: “The Catalan people have won the right to be listened to.”

Following the result pro-independence voters have taken to the streets to celebrate.Judith Ros, a 33-year-old woman from Barcelona who supports a separate state for Catalan, said that the election result meant there was “no way back”.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, she said: “The result is a reaffirmation for the pro-independence bloc.”

She added: “The Spanish state’s formula has definitely not worked out as planed.”

Meanwhile, Ruben Gonzalez, 21, who is from Tarragona but lives in London, has said that the attitude from Mardid needs to change.Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “The Catalan Government has tried many times to have a conversation with the Spanish and all the answers received have been ‘there’s nothing to talk about’ and violence.

“Clearly this needs to change, the Catalan Government will try to have the dialogue with the Spanish again.”

He added: “This time they have to accept the results and at least discuss.”

Also  Telegraph reported  that Catalonia’s ousted president, Carles Puigdemont, hailed a triumphant comeback for independence parties in hotly disputed elections called by the Spanish government, a victory that opens up a dramatic new chapter in the secession crisis.

Appearing among supporters in Brussels to cries of “President!”, Mr Puigdemont declared the “Catalan Republic” victorious in the face of the direct rule imposed by the government of Mariano Rajoy.

“The Spanish state has been defeated, Rajoy and his allies have lost,” he said, insisting the result was one “no one can dispute”. He demanded the “legitimate” government now be fully restored and the prosecutions of independence leaders dropped.

Mr Puigdemont, himself facing detention in Spain on charges of sedition and rebellion, also issued a call to the European Union. Europe had to “take note” that the “receipt of Rajoy does not work,” he said, calling for a political solution to the impasse.

As telegraph reported,  The secessionist parties defied consistent poll predictions of a hung parliament to secure an absolute majority of 70 seats out of 135, and 47.5 percent of the popular vote. Meanwhile the unionist bloc took 57 seats, with 43.4 percent of the vote.

“As you can see, we are the comeback kids,” Joan Maria Pique, campaign manager for ousted president Carles Puigdemont’s platform, Junts Per Catalunya, said from Brussels.

But it is the unionist centre-right party Ciudadanos, led in Catalonia by Ines Arrimadas, that is now the largest single force in the parliament after making impressive gains. Appearing on stage in Barcelona to cries of “Viva Espana!”, she claimed the result showed the “majority is in favour of union with Spain,” insisting she would continue to fight against the independence project.

Xavier Garcia Albiol, the candidate for Mr Rajoy’s PP, which plummeted from 11 seats to just 3, lamented what he said was a “very bad result”, both for his party and “the future of Catalonia”.

“Some might be celebrating for five minutes but I think Catalonia is going to come out losing,” he said.

A record 82 percent of Catalonia’s 5.5 million voters came out to cast ballots in the snap poll, aiming to restore an autonomous government almost two months after Madrid imposed direct rule under Article 155 in response to the unilateral independence declaration.

However, local elections in Catalonia showed that the conflict between the residents of this region and the central government continues. The conflict is worrying not only Spanish officials but also European officials.

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Puigdemont told members of his Catalan Democratic Party (CUP) on Wednesday that he would issue a formal independence declaration if the central government in Madrid started the process of suspending the region’s autonomy, as it has threatened to.

Catalonia held a banned referendum on secession on October 1. The Catalan leader claimed that 90 percent of the voters in the referendum had backed secession, but the turnout had been put at only 43 percent.

Last Tuesday, Puigdemont signed a symbolic declaration of independence but suspended it shortly afterwards and called for talks with the central government on the fate of the region.

The Spanish government had given Puigdemont until 10 a.m. local time (08:00 GMT) on Thursday to retract that symbolic declaration and drop the illegal secession bid altogether.

The Catalan government source said, “The president (Puigdemont) said [at] his party’s meeting that he will lift the suspension of the independence declaration if the government executes Article 155.”

The article allows Madrid to take over any of the country’s 17 autonomous regions should they break the law.

Government ‘to invoke Article 155’

Meanwhile, the government in Madrid has said Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would hold a special cabinet meeting on Saturday and invoke Article 155 to take some or full control of Catalonia’s powers. The decision was announced minutes after the region’s separatist leader threatened to unilaterally declare independence from Spain if Madrid continued its “repression.”

The two sides thus seem to be on a course to a more serious confrontation.

Rajoy had earlier called on the Catalan president to offer a definitive answer on the independence question, repeating his call for clarity on the matter.

“It’s not that difficult to reply to the question: Has Catalonia declared independence? Because if it has, the government is obliged to act in one way, and if it has not, we can talk here,” Rajoy said in an address to parliament.

Puigdemont is reportedly under pressure from his pro-secession government to unilaterally declare independence.

Meanwhile, people in Catalonia have been protesting the imprisonment of the two separatist leaders.

Catalonia had held a symbolic referendum back in November 2014, during which more than 80 percent of participants voted for independence, according to Catalan officials.

The region has a population of 7.5 million people, who speak their own language and have their own cultural traditions, and a political movement for splitting from Spain that has strengthened in recent years.

Catalonia, Spain’s wealthy region, accounts for a fifth of the country’s economy.

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The Tuesday general strike was called by more than 40 unions and associations in the region under the umbrella organization Table for Democracy in order to “vigorously condemn” the brutal police response to the voting process on Sunday.

The stoppage is expected to disrupt flights, train services and port operations in the autonomous region on Tuesday. Catalan public universities, the contemporary art museum and football clubs will also join the walkout.

More than 90 percent of Catalan voters said ‘Yes’ to separation from the mainland in a plebiscite banned by the central government.

The Sunday vote, however, turned ugly as Spanish riot police moved in on polling stations to stop people from casting their ballots. Security forces used batons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds of voters.

More than 840 people were injured in the violent clashes between riot police and voters in one Spain’s worst crises in decades.

Madrid has pledged to prevent the wealthy northeastern region from breaking away from Spain and has dismissed Sunday’s poll as unconstitutional and a “farce.”

FC Barcelona backs strike

Meanwhile, FC Barcelona, one of the main symbols of the Catalan region, also said it will join the Tuesday strike. The football club has openly voiced support for the region’s right to hold the referendum.

While many players from Barcelona’s first team will leave to join their national squads ahead of the upcoming international fixtures, the remaining players and club staff will not attend the training center on Tuesday.

“FC Barcelona joins the country wide strike called for by the Table for Democracy and therefore the club will be closed tomorrow,” Barcelona tweeted on Monday. “None of the professional teams or the youth teams at FC Barcelona will train tomorrow at the Ciutat Esportiva.”

Espanyol and Girona, also based in Catalonia, released statements on Monday declaring their intentions to join the general strike as well.

In protest at the violent events on Sunday, Barcelona held their La Liga clash with Las Palmas behind closed doors, winning 3-0.

On Monday, there was an organized region-wide ‘standstill protest, with workers across Catalonia stopping work for 15 minutes at midday, including employees at Barcelona club offices.

In Barcelona, municipal police said about 15,000 people stopped traffic as they rallied, shouting “the streets will always be ours.

The Spanish police clampdown has also been met with international criticism.

The United Nations called on Spanish authorities on Monday to launch a complete and fair investigation into the violence invoked during Catalonia’s independence referendum.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said he was “very disturbed” by the clashes and urged Spanish authorities to run a thorough, independent and impartial investigation.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has announced that results of the referendum will be sent to the Catalan parliament in the next few days to unilaterally declare independence.

“The citizens of Catalonia have won the right to an independent state in the form of a republic,” Puigdemont said in a televised address after the vote.

Puigdemont has called for international mediation to help solve the crisis.

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While addressing a press briefing early on Monday, regional government spokesman Jordi Turull announced that 2.02 million Catalans had voted “yes” to the question: “Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?.”

‘Catalan won the right to vote’

Earlier, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said that his region “won the right to an independent state” after “millions” took part in the vote.

“With this day of hope and suffering, the citizens of Catalonia have won the right to an independent state in the form a republic,” he said during a televised interview.

He further urged the EU to stop looking “the other way” after police cracked down on the referendum, adding that the move was “unjustified, abusive and serious police violence dictated by the Spanish government.”

According to regional authorities at least 800 people received medical attention in relation to the police’s violent crackdown.

“The Spanish government has today written a shameful page in its history with Catalonia. Sadly it is not the first. Too often repression and violence have been the state’s response to Catalan aspirations,” added Puigdemont.

“I have to call directly on Europe…The European Union can no longer continue to look the other way,” he said.

“The situation that has been generated in Catalonia by intransigence and repression, by the absolute denial of reality, by hostility to the democratic demands of the citizens of our country, is no longer an internal matter,” he added,

“It is a matter of European interest, which appeals directly to the foundational values in the area of peace, freedom, coexistence and democracy that we have been building for decades and with very different accents.”

Spanish PM: Independence referendum was blocked       

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claimed that the rule of law had prevailed in the region as an independence referendum banned by Madrid had been blocked.

“Today there has not been a self-determination referendum in Catalonia. The rule of law remains in force with all its strength,” he said, adding that security forces had “performed their duty” in preventing the voting from being carried out.

“It would have been easier for everyone to look the other way,” he said.

The vote was “real attack on the rule of law… to which the state reacted with firmness and serenity,” he added.

“We have fulfilled our obligation, we have acted according to the law and only according to the law,” he noted.

Rajoy went on to stress that Catalan’s regional government was to blame for the police’s actions.

“The responsibility for these acts solely and exclusively falls on those who promoted the rupture of legality and coexistence,” he stressed, referring to the referendum as a process that “only served to sow division, push citizens to confrontation and the streets to revolt.”

Catalonia, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, held a symbolic referendum back in November 2014, during which more than 80 percent of participants voted for independence, according to Catalan officials.

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