"Tsunami" in Barcelona

A wave of Catalan protests reached a new level

On Saturday, October 19, Barcelona protested the sixth evening in a row. On the eve of the manifestation “for the liberation of political prisoners”, in which half a million people initially took part, again ended in clashes between the hundreds of Ultras and the police. This week has already become the most tough for the entire latest, nine -year, the history of the mass Catalan protest.

By the morning of Saturday, the police reported that 182 people were injured the day before. Firefighters on Friday extinguished “131 fires” in Barcelona. Such a "hot night" of protests in the city has not yet been seen. Add strikes and manifestations to this in other cities of Catalonia, as well as the floor ceilings and the Barcelona airport.

The Supreme Court of Spain added fire to the long-smoldering “foci of the separatist fire” when last Monday sentenced nine Catalan politicians to prisoners from 9 to 13 years-for the “rebellion”: that is, the organization of independence referendum in 2017.

Even then, in October 2017, the first actions of the central authorities who decided to answer the referendum according to the most stringent scenario: police violence, the establishment of direct management from Madrid, the arrests of the leaders of “Catalan independence” and so on were met in Barcelona with new mass protests-mostly peaceful ones. The Center received an electoral answer from Catalonia: the separatists coalition won the Extraordinary elections to the Catalan parliament held by Madrid in December 2017.

Actually, a peaceful protest has still (despite the individual outbreaks of riots) was a branded sign of Catalan separatism.

But the tough decision of the Supreme Court exacerbated the situation. Moreover, after the transition of power in Spain from the right -wing “people's party”, which is hated by most catals, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rache to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (ISRP) led by Pedro Sanchez, in Barcelona was just waiting for the reverse: proposals for compromise.

After all, it was the socialists in 2005, leading the Spanish government, that they made concessions: the Catalans received the right to be called a nation (as part of the Spanish), they left a part of the taxes ... and the abolition of these privileges carried out in 2010, led to the beginning of mass protests and an impressive increase in the number of “Catalan patriots”-from a couple of interest to more than a few more than a few more years. At the same time, although the “nationalists” have always been much more active than the supporters of the “united Spain”, those who are still in the “compromise” with Madrid are still dominated by the first ones, those who require “only” wide autonomy.

But the situation is aggravated.

On October 17, President of the Zeenuralite (Government) of Catalonia Kim Torra, a representative of the separatist party "Together for Catalonia", threatened with a new referendum. At a meeting of the regional parliament, he said: “If we are sentenced to more than a hundred years of prison for the installation of URN for voting” ( a terrifying figure is, of course, the addition of the deadlines of nine Catalan politicians. - N. D. ), “Then you need to put electoral urns again”. On Saturday of the 19th Torra, noting that “violence is not our way,” and calling him out “to avoid”, he still emphasized: “We will go as far as the people of Catalonia wants” and “We will force Sanchez to talk to us.” “We are insisting” that Sanchez “has already appointed a day and time for negotiations today ... This is more urgently,” Torra said.

The task of Sanchez is complicated by the fact that he is now in the status of acting - On November 10, extraordinary elections to the Parliament of Spain will be held. So, “weakness” in response to the riots of Catalan nationalists can turn into an electoral defeat. As well as excessive rigidity against the Catalan “electoral district” important for socialists.

In the previous days of protests, Sanchez spoke in such a way as to please “ours and yours”: on the one hand, he promised a tough answer to the riots, on the other hand, he “did not exclude” the possibility of negotiations with “moderate forces”.

On Saturday, the response from the Government of Spain came almost immediately. “In order for the dialogue to be effective,” Kim Torra must “categorically condemn violence” and “admit that there is a“ different part of Catalonia ”:“ Most Catalans do not want independence, ”Madrid said.

On the same day, the acting came to Barcelona Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Spain Fernando Grande Marlask. He visited the police in the hospital, and then stated that on the eve of the injury, 101 law enforcement officer received, and more than three hundred were injured in total from the beginning of the protests. Nevertheless, the acting The Minister assured that the situation that the "absolute minority" spoils radical citizens spoils is "under control." But in the event of an exacerbation, "the state can apply the entire arsenal of its capabilities." Representatives of the ultra -separatist groups promised an aggravation.

At the same time, the main organizer of the current protests was the anonymous movement “Democratic Tsunami”, which on its website declares the refusal “from all violence” - “even if they apply it to us.” A movement that has not yet declared leaders coordinates the actions of activists through social networks and an application for mobile devices. Despite the fact that the movement has no stated leaders, immediately after its launch, in early September, the head of the Catalan government of Kim Torr, and his predecessor, the “political exile” Carles Pububzemon, and other separatists in prisons, announced him. More than 350 thousand people have already been signed in Telegram on Tsunami.

On Saturday evening, it again “covered” Catalonia.

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Natalya Danilova, especially for "New"