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| Rallies in Barcelona and Madrid urge leaders to hold talks on Catalonia | Rallies in Barcelona and Madrid urge leaders to hold talks on Catalonia |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Thousands of people have gathered at rallies in Barcelona and Madrid amid growing calls for talks following the political crisis sparked by Catalonia’s push for independence. | |
| People dressed in white gathered in both cities on Saturday under the slogan “shall we talk?” in a message to Spain’s political leaders. Organisers of the rallies had asked people to not bring any flags, neither Spanish nor Catalan, and to wear white clothing. | |
| In Madrid they gathered in a plaza outside Madrid city hall and called for dialogue to end the crisis, among them families with young children. | |
| Yurena Diaz, a 36-year-old doctor, was one of them and said she was demonstrating “so that there would be dialogue before we lose ourselves, so they they try and sit down and talk”. She said: “There is a lot more tension and violence. Each time it gets worse. Such violence makes you afraid. It has generated a lot of fear and that’s dangerous.” | |
| A rival rally was also being held nearby in Madrid’s central Plaza de Colón, where several thousand people waving Spanish flags joined a “patriotic” march organised by activists to defend the unity of Spain and protest against Catalan independence. | |
| Joaquin Penas, an off-duty cavalry colonel with a Spanish flag draped round his shoulders, told AFP the crisis had “reached a turning point and we need to get actively involved in the defence of Spain’s values as a nation”. | |
| If Catalonia were to declare independence “it would be like cutting off an arm,” he added, saying there was a lot of concern about the government’s perceived lack of action to resolve the crisis. “I don’t have much confidence in the government. It is not a very proactive government... [Mariano] Rajoy is anything but a leader. To be honest, he’s awful.” | |
| Tentative signs have emerged that both sides may be trying to defuse the crisis after Madrid apologised on Friday to Catalans injured by police trying to stop people voting in the outlawed independence referendum last Sunday. | Tentative signs have emerged that both sides may be trying to defuse the crisis after Madrid apologised on Friday to Catalans injured by police trying to stop people voting in the outlawed independence referendum last Sunday. |
| However, Catalan leaders have not backed down from plans to declare independence, possibly next week, following the result of the referendum in which 90% backed independence on a 43% turnout. Many who support Spanish unity did not vote in the poll. | |
| “There has to be a commitment to dialogue,” said Jordi Cuixart, the president of one of the grassroots groups driving Catalonia’s separatist movement. “We will continue to demand a commitment that the referendum law be fulfiled.” | “There has to be a commitment to dialogue,” said Jordi Cuixart, the president of one of the grassroots groups driving Catalonia’s separatist movement. “We will continue to demand a commitment that the referendum law be fulfiled.” |
| The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has vowed to block independence and rejected calls for mediation. | The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has vowed to block independence and rejected calls for mediation. |
| The Catalan government minister Santi Vila, a close of ally of the regional president, Carles Puigdemont, said his side might consider a “ceasefire” in the dispute. | The Catalan government minister Santi Vila, a close of ally of the regional president, Carles Puigdemont, said his side might consider a “ceasefire” in the dispute. |
| Puigdemont had been due to appear at the regional parliament on Monday but has postponed it by a day, in an apparent attempt to gain time and ease tensions. Spain’s constitutional court has ordered the suspension of the Monday session. | |
| If Catalonia does declare independence, Spain could suspend the region’s existing autonomous status and impose direct rule from Madrid. | If Catalonia does declare independence, Spain could suspend the region’s existing autonomous status and impose direct rule from Madrid. |
| Businesses and the government have kept up economic pressure on Catalonia, with several big companies, including the banks Sabadell and Caixa, announcing plans to shift their headquarters to other parts of Spain. | Businesses and the government have kept up economic pressure on Catalonia, with several big companies, including the banks Sabadell and Caixa, announcing plans to shift their headquarters to other parts of Spain. |
| Madrid passed a measure on Friday making it easier for businesses to move their legal bases from one region to another. | Madrid passed a measure on Friday making it easier for businesses to move their legal bases from one region to another. |