On Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 03:51:14PM +0100, Peter Fairbrother wrote:
On 15/10/2019 07:50, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
Joyous news today, folks!
Wonders never cease, and finally we see some REAL democracy in the EU's Spain, as Catalan leaders are finally dealt justice with harsh multi year jail sentences - the longest for 13 years.
Having many friends and relatives in Spain, including some in Catalonia, I gotta say that the majority of them are thinking along the lines of "hope this doesn't stir the idiots up, but the Court didn't have much choice and they deserved it"
The rest of Spain, including Catalan non-rebels, was seriously pissed off at the Catalan rebels.
Peter F
Military Police Deployed As 500,000 Catalan Independence Protesters Shut Down Barcelona https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/military-police-deployed-500000-catal... Central Barcelona has reportedly been paralyzed as mass protests which international reports estimate to number over a half-million people are driven by outrage at harsh prison sentences for pro-independence leaders handed down by the top Spanish court. Protest leaders are vowing "the streets will be ours" as they push for Catalan independence, and as riot police have begun clashing with stone-throwing activists, who are also in some places of the city setting makeshift roadblocks ablaze. [LOL so funny - people thinking their will matters :D] With night fall, reporters on the ground are describing what's beginning to resemble a war zone, with increasing violence against police, as also both far-left and far-right agitators are said to be infiltrating the crowd and engaged in increasing violence and vandalism. The turmoil began Monday after Spain’s Supreme Court handed out extreme prison sentences to nine politicians who spearheaded the referendum on Catalonia’s independence in 2017. [img: Protesters blocked at least 20 major roadwars Friday] They were given a whopping 13 years behind bars for what amounts to pro-independence activism, but which Madrid sees as an "illegal" secession attempt which undermined the state. Though protests started out relatively minor by some student groups, a mass body of people began marching from various parts of Catalonia earlier in the week, and then began inundating Barcelona starting at about noon on Friday, resulting in absolute gridlock. In total about five separate marches converged at once on the city, also amid a general strike in solidarity with the jailed activists. Five #MarchesForFreedom, coming from every corner of Catalonia, have arrived today in Barcelona to protest against the unjust imprisonment of the Catalan leaders. Later in the day, a mass demonstration has taken place in the city center. Free them all #DemocracyInJail pic.twitter.com/6KAC1boXD1 — Òmnium International (@OmniumIntl) October 18, 2019 Keep in mind folks that the population of Catalonia is around 7.5 million, so these protests represent nearly 7% of the entire population of Catalonia! BTW, quickest way to justify state MIL POL intervention in protests? Make sure your paid extremists get in there and wreak violence and havoc.