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Jailed Catalan leaders call for end to violent protests Spanish PM: we will not be provoked by Catalonia violence
(about 5 hours later)
The nine Catalan leaders jailed this week over their roles in the failed push for regional independence two years ago have appealed for peaceful protests following two consecutive nights of violent unrest. Spain’s prime minister has warned that his government will not be provoked into overreacting as Catalonia braces for a third night of unrest following the imprisonment this week of nine pro-independence leaders for their roles in the failed push for regional independence two years ago.
Their joint plea came as the Spanish government warned that the violent protests, which have led to dozens of arrests, would be met with a “firm, proportional and united” response. Speaking on Wednesday evening after holding talks with other political party leaders, Pedro Sánchez said the government would defend Spain’s constitution and peaceful coexistence but would not be tempted into inflaming tensions.
In a tweet sent on Wednesday morning, the nine prisoners called for a huge but peaceful response to their imprisonment by Spain’s supreme court on Monday. “The state will always guarantee the rights of those who wish to protest their ideas peacefully,” he said.
“But organised violent groups and those who try to break democratic laws will not achieve their aims … The only hope of those violent groups is that we’ll make mistakes and become over-excited and divided. They want us to fall for their provocations and feed a violent spiral.”
The prime minister’s address came as tens of thousands of people gathered in central Barcelona to protest against the supreme court’s verdict. Many threw toilet rolls in the air in a nod to the demonstration’s slogan: “There’s a lot of shit to clear up.”
As the demonstration wound down, some protesters once again skirmished with police and set fire to rubbish bins.
Sánchez said the government was ready to respond “to all scenarios” and called on the pro-independence Catalan president, Quim Torra, to unequivocally condemn the use of violence seen since Monday’s verdicts.
Referring to the regional government’s unsuccessful attempts to secure independence, Sánchez added: “No leader can camouflage their failure behind curtains of smoke and fire.”
Torra has been criticised for calling for civil disobedience while sending in Catalan riot police to restore order.
While the Catalan president declined to explicitly condemn the violence of recent days as he took part in a protest march from Girona to Barcelona on Wednesday, he later tweeted that “violence does not represent us”.
Earlier on Wednesday, the nine jailed leaders had issued a joint plea for peaceful protests after the Spanish government warned any further violence would be met with a “firm, proportional and united” response.
The nine called for a huge but peaceful response to their imprisonment.
“All support to mobilisations and massive and peaceful marches,” wrote the nine, who include the former regional vice-president Oriol Junqueras and two influential grassroots leaders, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart. “No violence represents us.”“All support to mobilisations and massive and peaceful marches,” wrote the nine, who include the former regional vice-president Oriol Junqueras and two influential grassroots leaders, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart. “No violence represents us.”
Planned peaceful demonstrations in Barcelona erupted into running battles with the police on Tuesday evening. Planned peaceful demonstrations in Barcelona gave way to running battles with the police on Tuesday evening, 24 hours after thousands of pro-independence protesters attempted to shut down Barcelona airport, leading to police charges.
Protesters lit fires and erected makeshift barricades in the city centre before the crowd was dispersed by baton charges by Spanish and Catalan police.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the other main Catalan cities of Tarragona, Girona and Lleida, where dozens of people were reportedly injured.
The Spanish government said 51 people had been arrested across Catalonia on Monday and Tuesday, and 54 officers from the regional police force and 18 from the national force had been injured.The Spanish government said 51 people had been arrested across Catalonia on Monday and Tuesday, and 54 officers from the regional police force and 18 from the national force had been injured.
“A minority is trying to impose violence on the streets of Catalonia, especially in Barcelona. Tarragona, Girona and Lleida,” the government said in a statement. Sánchez’s caretaker government has already said it could activate article 155 of the constitution, which would allow it to suspend the regional government and assume direct rule of the region.
“It’s obvious that what we’re seeing is not a peaceful civic movement, but one coordinated by groups who use violence to upset co-existence in Catalonia.” Sánchez’s rightwing opponents are calling for the government to take a hard line on the latest eruption of the regional independence crisis. Spain is due to hold its fourth general election in as many years on 10 November.
The statement paid tribute to the efforts of the police, adding: “The Spanish government’s unwavering aim is to guarantee safety and co-existence within Catalonia, and that is what it will do through its commitment to firmness, proportionality and unity.” The prisoners’ calls for calm had been echoed earlier by Catalonia’s vice-president, who pointed out that violence would only play into the hands of opponents.
The caretaker government, led by the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has already said it could activate article 155 of the constitution, which would allow it to suspend the regional government and assume direct rule of the region. “Let’s not give them what they’re after,” Pere Aragonès tweeted on Tuesday night. “We must defend our citizens and our institutions. Let’s refrain from violent behaviour.”
Sánchez was due to meet the leaders of the three main opposition parties on Wednesday to discuss the situation. The latest unrest began on Monday after Spain’s supreme court acquitted the nine defendants of the charge of violent rebellion but convicted them variously of sedition, misuse of public funds and disobedience over their parts in the push to secede from Spain.
Pablo Casado, the leader of the conservative People’s party (PP), has called on Sánchez to activate the national security law, arguing that it is needed to ensure that Catalan police and intelligence services were brought under the control of the central government.
But Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, appeared to rule out any drastic action, saying the national police force was working very well in partnership with its Catalan counterpart and adding: “At the moment there’s no need to alarm anybody.”
Grande-Marlaska told the Catalan public broadcaster TV3 that the great majority of Catalans had reacted to the supreme court verdict with peaceful protests. But he called on the Catalan president, Quim Torra, to demonstrate “his clear opposition to the use of violence”.
Torra has been criticised for calling for civil disobedience while sending in Catalan riot police to restore order.
The Catalan president declined to comment on the violence when he took part in a protest march from Girona to Barcelona on Wednesday, instead paying tribute to what he called “the civic and peaceful spirit” of the thousands of Catalans who had joined the marches.
However, the prisoners’ calls for calm were echoed by Catalonia’s vice-president, who pointed out that violence would only play into the hands of its opponents.
“Let’s not give them what they’re after,” Pere Aragonès tweeted on Tuesday night. “Let’s not hand them the hidden gift of a 155. We must defend our citizens and our institutions. Let’s refrain from violent behaviour.”
The Catalan interior minister, Miquel Buch, also spoke out against the violence, saying: “The defence of freedom doesn’t require the throwing of any blunt objects at any police cordons.”
Tuesday’s disturbances came a day after thousands of pro-independence protesters attempted to shut down Barcelona airport, leading to police charges.
Tsunami Democràtic, the social network group that co-ordinated the airport protest, urged people to protest peacefully, saying: “Non-violence is a fundamental strategy of our movement owing to both conviction and the fact that it works: the civil disobedience movements of the past decades have repeatedly demonstrated its effectiveness.”
The latest unrest erupted on Monday after Spain’s supreme court acquitted the nine defendants of the charge of violent rebellion but convicted them variously of sedition, misuse of public funds and disobedience over their roles in the failed push for independence two years ago.
Junqueras was jailed for 13 years, while Sànchez and Cuixart received nine-year sentences. The six others were given terms of between 10-and-a-half and 12 years.Junqueras was jailed for 13 years, while Sànchez and Cuixart received nine-year sentences. The six others were given terms of between 10-and-a-half and 12 years.
Hours after the verdicts were announced, an international arrest warrant was reissued for the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who spearheaded the push for independence.Hours after the verdicts were announced, an international arrest warrant was reissued for the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who spearheaded the push for independence.
It said Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium to avoid arrest by the Spanish authorities, was wanted for alleged sedition and misuse of public funds.It said Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium to avoid arrest by the Spanish authorities, was wanted for alleged sedition and misuse of public funds.
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