Catalans peacefully expressed their rage in the streets on Tuesday, but their tolerance was severely tested by a provocative speech from the king of Spain.
Updated: 6:15 p.m. EDT
Businesses ground to a halt here in Barcelona and across Catalonia on Tuesday, as a general strike was observed and protesters poured into the streets. Two days after the Spanish government authorized the use of force to disrupt a referendum on independence from Spain, Catalans for and against secession remain livid.
The small village of Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona #VagaGeneral3O pic.twitter.com/4Oa2gcCJdU
— 15MBcn_int (@15MBcn_int) October 3, 2017
Milers de manifestants a la plaça Major i fins el c/Verdaguer de Vic. Molt seguiment de l’aturada a la comarca d’#Osona #AturadaTV3 @324cat pic.twitter.com/mOqzOqebCQ
— Ferran Vila (@ferranvila) October 3, 2017
Sabadell pic.twitter.com/2t8p7qd8Wj
— Marc Serra (@Marcsg747) October 3, 2017
Girona, este mediodía #3Oct pic.twitter.com/jdzfJDy4he
— El Sol de Baudelaire (@SunOfBaudelaire) October 3, 2017
Mostrem les places de Catalunya... Manresa aqueTa tarda... #aturadaRac1 pic.twitter.com/mPvH1X3hKR
— Gerard Romero (@gerardromero) October 3, 2017
Mimes stop garbage truck. General strike underway in Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/RS3jNnJITa
— William Booth (@BoothWilliam) October 3, 2017
Segueix l'aturada per la dignitat a l'ARA pic.twitter.com/HLEKHqRlmU
— Esther Vera (@estherveraARA) October 3, 2017
A sign on a shuttered business read “Closed for dignity” in Catalan.
Spanish police officers, who injured nearly 900 voters as they attempted to cast ballots on Sunday, were a focus for much of the anger, as fresh images of the attacks continued to circulate.
Un noi colpejat al cap amb la porra diversos cops. Escola Àgora de Nou Barris a BCN durant una càrrega de @policia per impedir votació. pic.twitter.com/vYxyigyaqI
— SER CATALUNYA (@SERCatalunya) October 2, 2017
Rage at police actions intensified as video was broadcast showing Spanish officers in a hotel outside Barcelona applauding their colleagues and chanting “Viva España” late Monday night.
A #PinedadeMar ara mateix.. se senten orgullosos de la feina que han fet... #NooblidaremMAI #noheuaturatres #octubreindependent @324cat pic.twitter.com/kpGiBD4wYZ
— Guifré Sastre Gómez (@GuifreSastre) October 2, 2017
The Spanish officers were protected, however, by local Catalan police and demonstrators determined to retain the moral high ground through nonviolence.
Barcelona’s mayor, Ada Colau, tweeted that 300,000 people marched in a protest that took over two hours to pass in front of local headquarters of the national police force, where demonstrators slowed to whistle, jeer, and chant, but there were no reports of violence.
Ballots tossed in the air and Antifa flags waving, 2 hours after front of protest march passed by Spanish police HQ in Barcelona. #3Oct pic.twitter.com/sCDR44ypc7
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
"This building will become a library," people chant in front of Spanish police headquarters in Barcelona #3Oct ??https://t.co/akL6P4Duz8. pic.twitter.com/O49gMeTp2c
— Catalan News (@catalannews) October 3, 2017
#VagaGeneral3O #1oct pic.twitter.com/qQ8Twz50vD
— Raul Gallego Abellan (@raulgaab) October 3, 2017
Among the chants from the crowd filing down Via Laietana were “Fora les forces d’ocupació” (“Withdraw the forces of occupation”) and “La vergonya d’Europa” (“The disgrace of Europe”), which was sung to the tune of “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes.
1 hour 20 minutes after front of protest march passed Spanish police HQ in Barcelona, street is packed and no end in sight to marchers #3Oct pic.twitter.com/qL4B64Qst1
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
Miles d manifestantes #vialaietana en @policia gritan a @policia q son "la vergüenza d Europa" #ReferendumCatalan #CatalanReferedendum pic.twitter.com/HZ1T1bdc7R
— Alfonso Congostrina (@alfcongostrina) October 3, 2017
Just before the main march had reached the police building, a young man on a bicycle tossed a beer can over the line of Catalan officers outside and was quickly surrounded by other protesters, who chanted “Som gent de pau” (“We are people of peace”) and pressed him to leave the area.
After a guy threw a beer can at the Spanish police HQ, protesters chanted "Som gent de pau" "We are people of peace" and forced him to leave pic.twitter.com/jXpPDfPfqj
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
In what could have been a lesson in community policing for the Spanish police officers in riot gear near the back of the building, an officer from the autonomous Catalan force, known as the Mossos, also scolded the young man but did not lay a finger on him.
Later, the Mossos defused an even more volatile situation at the rear of the police building, where a small group of young protesters had gathered to jeer at Spanish officers in riot gear, blocking their exit.
Tense as group of young protesters break off from main march to go behind national police HQ and jeer Spanish officers in riot gear #3Oct pic.twitter.com/HT7LjzxUjq
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
Spanish National Police & Guardia Civil are now forces of occupation in Catalunya. #3Oct pic.twitter.com/0bmOKNWeOs
— Aodhán Ó hAdhmaill ?? (@HamillOSF) October 3, 2017
After a short time, two Catalan police vans moved into the narrow alley behind the station, and officers from what the protesters called “our police” convinced most of them to move on.
Elsewhere in Barcelona, protesters silently held their hands in the air outside a central government office, demonstrating their intention to remain peaceful.
el silencio del que se corta ante la Delegación del Gobierno ahora mismo https://t.co/3Ut34CxDhI pic.twitter.com/ePWzV8rHDA
— Clara Blanchar (@clarablanchar) October 3, 2017
Other residents of the Catalan capital rallied at a polling place where Spanish officers had used brutality against voters, again chanting “Som gent de pau.”
#VÍDEO | Protesta a l'escola Ramon Llull #Bcn, assaltada per la @policia durant #CatalanReferendum: https://t.co/3kTP7Sp8nd Per @victoryus3 pic.twitter.com/DLc2lnjl8L
— Directa (@La_Directa) October 3, 2017
Among the crowds of pro-independence citizens of Catalonia on Tuesday, there were also some who openly opposed secession from Spain, but wanted to voice their disgust at the use of force to block the vote.
@UN @UNHumanRights This peaceful people deserves international mediation NOW! HELP! Not an internal issue! #catalanmediation #3Oct pic.twitter.com/pj6yCW9ul0
— Eduard Vidal (@Common_Seny) October 3, 2017
Apart from anger at the Spanish police, there was also widespread scorn for the role played by Spain’s newspaper and television journalists, who stand accused by protesters of politically motivated, “manipulative” reporting that demonizes Catalan separatists as greedy or violent.
"Prensa espanyola, manipuladora." Protesters chanted bitterly against what they called the manipulative reporting of the Spanish press #3Oct pic.twitter.com/KYGhWcSyiL
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
In person, however, the peaceful, even joyous nature of this democratic uprising was hard to miss. A spontaneous gathering of young protesters outside Barcelona’s city hall on Tuesday erupted at times into something more like a party.
Spanish police helicopter hovering over Barcelona's city hall earlier was probably watching out for trouble, but witnessed joy instead #3Oct pic.twitter.com/UCqOvvYwPV
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 3, 2017
Still, fears that the Spanish government might take further provocative steps to stoke tensions were amplified late on Tuesday when the government chose to have the King of Spain, Felipe VI, deliver a strident televised address, in which he blamed Catalan separatists for provoking the crisis and failed to even mention the police violence.
Felipe Vi, Spanish King, just made a speech on Catalonia without condemning violence and without calling for political dialogue. A Catalan Declaration of Independence is unavoidable.
— Aleix Sarri Camargo ? (@aleixsarri) October 3, 2017
“If people thought that he was going to call for dialogue, it didn’t happen,” Borja Echevarría, a Spanish journalist who is now the digital editor-in-chief of Univision News in Miami, told The Intercept. “He backed totally [Prime Minister Mariano] Rajoy’s position. He condemned Catalan leaders. He didn’t mention what happened on Sunday, the violence.”
The king “was tough and spoke to those who live in Cataluña or Catalans who feel Spanish,” Echevarría added. “He was just speaking to a part of the Catalan population and to Catalan politicians, blaming them. But what happens to those moderates in Cataluña that are fed up of Spanish politicians, and they were not separatists until not so long ago?”
Ramón Lobo, a veteran war correspondent in Madrid, called the king’s remarks “disappointing” and “very rough,” in an interview shortly after the broadcast.
There was no mention at all of dialogue, Lobo pointed out, as if the government was already preparing to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which would permit Spain to suspend the autonomous Catalan government and rule the region directly from Madrid. “Big mistake,” Lobo concluded.
Barcelona’s mayor agreed, calling the speech “irresponsible and unworthy of a head of state,” since it offered no solution, made no mention of the wounded and included no appeal for dialogue.
Ninguna solución. Ninguna mención a los heridos. Ninguna apelación al diálogo. Discurso irresponsable e indigno de un jefe de estado #Rey
— Ada Colau (@AdaColau) October 3, 2017
Pablo Iglesias, the head of the Podemos party, also denounced the speech, telling the unelected king that he did not speak for the five million Spaniards who voted for his party.
Como presidente de un grupo parlamentario que representa a más de 5 millones de españoles, le digo al Rey no votado: no en nuestro nombre
— Pablo Iglesias (@Pablo_Iglesias_) October 3, 2017
The king’s speech was quickly followed by what the Catalans call a cassolada, a form of protest in which dissent is expressed by making a racket, banging on casseroles, pots, and pans.
Cassolada espontània a Sants després del discurs del rei @btvnoticies pic.twitter.com/ORtuOlP4g6
— Mercè (@MerceMondelo) October 3, 2017
Cassolada espectacular a Gràcia després del missatge institucional del rei @btvnoticies pic.twitter.com/XrqYuQEbf8
— Ainhoa Roca (@ainhoar7) October 3, 2017
If the repression of Sunday’s vote in Catalonia set Spain back 40 years, Albano Dante, a member of the Catalan parliament, suggested on Twitter, this speech from the king set it back another 300.
El 1-O España retrocedió 40 años. Hoy 300. El Rey Felipe. pic.twitter.com/XyDpPEDOTL
— Albano-Dante Fachin (@AlbanoDante76) October 3, 2017
Pro-independence groups mocked the king, with one calling him a “rat” imposed by the Franco regime.
? A aquesta rata imposada pel franquisme ja fa molt de temps que no li tenim cap mena de por. #NiReiNiPor pic.twitter.com/GvEhFVKFsW
— Arran (@Arran_jovent) October 3, 2017
Adding to the sense of crisis, the BBC reported that Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in an interview recorded earlier on Tuesday that his government would declare independence within days.
EXCLUSIVE with Catalan President @KRLS; Catalan authorities will declare independence from Spain in a matter of days @BBCNews
— Tom Burridge (@TomBurridgebbc) October 3, 2017
The author is framing the matter as if it was some sort of third world freedom fighting David vs. Goliath episode when it’s everything but.
Catalonia has never been a conquered state, or old colony in need of self determination, or any other kind of similar entity. It is, in fact, a quasi-federal state with far more control on its subjects than many formal federal states in the West, and what we are seeing is the result of a few corruption scandals, electoral debacles, and rampant populism filling the vacuum, ending up with the local rulers of old cornered and pulling a Thelma & Louise — with all the Catalan population on the backseat — by embracing the radicals’ posture and hoping to survive it somehow. They have nothing to lose anymore.
This has been brewing for decades, although not in a heroic fight for freedom fashion but a sordid manner typical of these kind of movements. That the heads of the independence movement insist on saying that Catalonia will automagically become an EU state after seceding despite all warnings on the contrary ought to be telling enough to suspect the kind of leadership behind all this and encourage to dig at least a little under the appearances which, frankly, are paper-thin to anybody who has been living in Spain for a few years.
Dear Paolo Pasoan,
About free speech:
First, I respect the values you believe in. I like to be able to read your opinion, as much as I like to write mine, and read any neighbour’s opinion, be it your sister, be it my brother, or anyone else, even if I don’t yet know what his/her opinion would be. Indeed, I hope he will let me know his/her opinion so I can know which one it is from first hand and hopefully learn from it.
To most of us, doing so is an exercise on free speech, on trying to understand each other, on respect for others’ opinions. And this alone allows all of us to mature as society.
For Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s Prime Minister, and his Popular Party, and some others like Ciudadanos party, such is not the case. For them, you are not allowed to dissent regarding your self-determination. That’s illegal, even if all developed countries’ citizens believe it’s a right. From here on, the right to speak about what you want for your future may no longer be called self-determination but ought to be called their-determination-for-you, as you are excluded any voice on this extremely important issue.
About law:
Do you believe in abiding to the law no matter what? Then you’ll have to be coherent to that. Let’s say your wife is black. Go to your wife and sadly inform her she should have not the same rights you have to sit on white seats, because she “got” the same rights you have after a woman named Rosa Parks broke the law. Go tell your wife she, with your mother and hers, with your daughter as well, are “a bunch of anarchists that are dividing your country and that you feel trapped, unprotected, silenced and your democratic rights were shattered” by that woman who refused to give up her seat to a white man in a bus, as law stated back then. Check history and I bet you’ll have to agree with me that Rosa Parks and all women (and men too) had had those arguments shouted to them and treated as dangerous out-of-the-law nonconformists, and authorities defending not people but the law, i.e. the status quo. Let me know what your wife, whether she’s black or white, thinks about that, or what you think about that yourself.
I hope you don’t deny your kids the right to leave your home when they become adults. Shouldn’t they become adults ever, just in case they demand to have such deeply rooted drive granted? Should you use force to impede them leaving you? No person with brains would, I hope. For Popular Party, Catalans will never ever have such right. Yes, “never ever”, they keep saying again and again. That’s one of the main disagreements. We should be talking about that, not on law-abiding, which we all agree we want to, and have to, respect because we all want to live in a peaceful society.
About the guardians of Spain’s law:
The guardians of Spain’s Constitution, the Tribunal Constitucional (Constitutional Jury), have explicitly, publicly stated that any and all articles in the Constitution law could be changed, if it is politically agreed. Which feels fine. Instead, it’s the Popular Party who stated that they will NEVER accept talks on changing that article about self-determination. Ciudadanos party also stated that they also will NEVER accept talks on changing that article on self-determination. It’s not a law issue, it’s a political issue.
About information sources:
I bet you are used to watch TVE. Maybe Tele5, or Antena3, or Cuatro. Just for you to know, TVE employees have already denounced they are not being allowed to inform properly, and demanded the resignation of the head of the news department. Also, you pointed to ElPaís newspaper. Please, think again. Or just read others too. Many others if possible. Independent ones, pun not intended. I highly appreciate you read TheIntercept, which gives me high hopes you may have an open mind.
About the king:
The King yesterday made no defense on the right to vote and what that means. He made no mention about those who could vote “No” if they so wanted and had the chance to freely vote such option in full right. If you believe they are 50-60% why shouldn’t they just vote and crush the whole discussion once and forever. He made no mention either that the law is there to serve its population and help us all live in a peaceful, respectful community. Instead, he felt sorry for the police officers that beaten up the population with sticks and tear gas and caused 893 people injured, broken bones on purpose included. Does that sound kingly, noble? Not to me. History teaches that what someone did yesterday, he will probably try to repeat tomorrow. I hope you’ll forever and fully agree to such kind of kings, for your own safety.
About Mariano Rajoy’s lies:
Do you trust him? Really? And I mean, really? No problem. You’re free to vote for him.
Each speech he does, he just promises whatever voters of his party are willing to hear from the authority. He doesn’t care one bit he will do exactly the opposite. He has failed to the vast majority of his major promises. Surprise: he has never said even “sorry”. He doesn’t care one bit to fail to Spain citizens. Each and every time he speaks, he just promises what his voters would like. Each and every time he acts, he uses the law for his interests and the powerful benefit. “Bailout will cost 0 to citizens”, “Luis (Bárcenas), be strong!”, later on declaring “Merkel said I had to” and on and on and on. With a “patriotic” speech here or there on him defending Spain from the evil others, whoever the others might be (Catalans are 1 out of 6 Spaniards), to sweeten a little bit the disillusioned hearts of Spain citizens, and he’ll win another election, just to repeat, keep benefiting himself and his powerful friends of that day. Spanish citizens need a national project, but a socially competent, rational, decent, respectful, trustful one.
Question: are we a society because it’s written in a law and authorities “can” and use force, or because our acts prove that we are one and behave as such once and again, specially when someone has an important issue to debate?
Americans ought to gift Catalonia with some variants of the Yankee Doodle tune. Yes, it is a song that makes little sense and is wont to switch sides at the drop of a hat, but there is something cheerful about it that is hard to put a finger on. Something vaguely like:
Cat’lun voters don’t expect a Ballot Inquisition
How’d the Spanish know they’d lose? I’d call it intuition…
Phillip Sex he made a speech to vent out his frustration
By the time he’d finished he had started a new nation…
But I don’t know the province – or will it be country? – anywhere near well enough to get it right.
Dear Mr Mackey,
Before putting out such a biased piece of news, please take the time to study what has really happened in Catalonia in the last few years and in the last few days (you could start with the editorial columns in El Pais today, https://elpais.com), and please take a read of both the Spanish Constitution and the Catalonian Statute. You would then realize that well over half of the population of Catalonia is not at all represented by this anarchic movement, nor by the totally illegal behavior of the Catalonian government. They have completely divided Catalonian’s society and are acting completely outside of the law. The king today spoke in support of that 50-60% of Catalonians that feel trapped, unprotected, silenced, and whose democratic rights (the right to live in a country under the rule of law) is being shattered by their own Catalonian government. This is not a mass of political and social activists seeking the recognition of civil or human rights, as they claim to be doing. This is a mass of anarchists seeking unilateral independence through completely illegal means, driven by selfish national sentiments and interests, rather than a desire for dialogue, sharing and peace. Don’t be fooled by their “pacific” and “festive” attitudes in the streets. How unfortunate that highly respected and admired social activists in the US and elsewhere do not recognize the real nature of what’s happening in Catalonia. Please study this matter carefully before supporting this revolution.
Mackey is looking at this with rose colored glasses, it’s like he’s fallen in love with the Catalans. I expect more from The Intercept.
I find Robert Mackey’s article very accurate to what’s going on at Catalonia streets. If you walk on the streets in Barcelona, that’s what you’ll see. I’ve walked them, talked to people with different positions, and Robert Mackey has described what’s happening with acute precision.
Dear Paolo Pasoan,
About free speech:
First, I respect the values you believe in. I like to be able to read your opinion, as much as I like to write mine, and read any neighbour’s opinion, be it your sister, be it my brother, or anyone else, even if I don’t yet know what his/her opinion would be. Indeed, I hope he will let me know his/her opinion so I can know which one it is from first hand and hopefully learn from it.
To most of us, doing so is an exercise on free speech, on trying to understand each other, on respect for others’ opinions. And this alone allows all of us to mature as society.
For Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s Prime Minister, and his Popular Party, and some others like Ciudadanos party, such is not the case. For them, you are not allowed to dissent regarding your self-determination. That’s illegal, even if all developed countries’ citizens believe it’s a right. From here on, the right to speak about what you want for your future may no longer be called self-determination but ought to be called their-determination-for-you, as you are excluded any voice on this extremely important issue.
About law:
Do you believe in abiding to the law no matter what? Then you’ll have to be coherent to that. Let’s say your wife is black. Go to your wife and sadly inform her she should have not the same rights you have to sit on white seats, because she “got” the same rights you have after a woman named Rosa Parks broke the law. Go tell your wife she, with your mother and hers, with your daughter as well, are “a bunch of anarchists that are dividing your country and that you feel trapped, unprotected, silenced and your democratic rights were shattered” by that woman who refused to give up her seat to a white man in a bus, as law stated back then. Check history and I bet you’ll have to agree with me that Rosa Parks and all women (and men too) had had those arguments shouted to them and treated as dangerous out-of-the-law nonconformists, and authorities defending not people but the law, i.e. the status quo. Let me know what your wife, whether she’s black or white, thinks about that, or what you think about that yourself.
I hope you don’t deny your kids the right to leave your home when they become adults. Shouldn’t they become adults ever, just in case they demand to have such deeply rooted drive granted? Should you use force to impede them leaving you? No person with brains would, I hope. For Popular Party, Catalans will never ever have such right. Yes, “never ever”, they keep saying again and again. That’s one of the main disagreements. We should be talking about that, not on law-abiding, which we all agree we want to, and have to, respect because we all want to live in a peaceful society.
About the guardians of Spain’s law:
The guardians of Spain’s Constitution, the Tribunal Constitucional (Constitutional Jury), have explicitly, publicly stated that any and all articles in the Constitution law could be changed, if it is politically agreed. Which feels fine. Instead, it’s the Popular Party who stated that they will NEVER accept talks on changing that article about self-determination. Ciudadanos party also stated that they also will NEVER accept talks on changing that article on self-determination. It’s not a law issue, it’s a political issue.
About information sources:
I bet you are used to watch TVE. Maybe Tele5, or Antena3, or Cuatro. Just for you to know, TVE employees have already denounced they are not being allowed to inform properly, and demanded the resignation of the head of the news department. Also, you pointed to ElPaís newspaper. Please, think again. Or just read others too. Many others if possible. Independent ones, pun not intended. I highly appreciate you read TheIntercept, which gives me high hopes you may have an open mind.
About the king:
The King yesterday made no defense on the right to vote and what that means. He made no mention about those who could vote “No” if they so wanted and had the chance to freely vote such option in full right. If you believe they are 50-60% why shouldn’t they just vote and crush the whole discussion once and forever. He made no mention either that the law is there to serve its population and help us all live in a peaceful, respectful community. Instead, he felt sorry for the police officers that beaten up the population with sticks and tear gas and caused 893 people injured, broken bones on purpose included. Does that sound kingly, noble? Not to me. History teaches that what someone did yesterday, he will probably try to repeat tomorrow. I hope you’ll forever and fully agree to such kind of kings, for your own safety.
About Mariano Rajoy’s lies:
Do you trust him? Really? And I mean, really? No problem. You’re free to vote for him.
Each speech he does, he just promises whatever voters of his party are willing to hear from the authority. He doesn’t care one bit he will do exactly the opposite. He has failed to the vast majority of his major promises. Surprise: he has never said even “sorry”. He doesn’t care one bit to fail to Spain citizens. Each and every time he speaks, he just promises what his voters would like. Each and every time he acts, he uses the law for his interests and the powerful benefit. “Bailout will cost 0 to citizens”, “Luis (Bárcenas), be strong!”, later on declaring “Merkel said I had to” and on and on and on. With a “patriotic” speech here or there on him defending Spain from the evil others, whoever the others might be (Catalans are 1 out of 6 Spaniards), to sweeten a little bit the disillusioned hearts of Spain citizens, and he’ll win another election, just to repeat, keep benefiting himself and his powerful friends of that day. Spanish citizens need a national project, but a socially competent, rational, decent, respectful, trustful one.
“completely illegal means” ? But the referendum was a decision of the Katalan parlament. Furthermore, there isn’t much of an argument in your ‘legal’ vs. ‘illegal’ distinction, when it comes to the right of people to self determination, which is enshrined in international law, and which most recent examples are all over Eastern Europe in the last couple decades. But the issue at hand, is not even the divorce from Spain, the issue at hand is the issue of democratic processes or lack of them, the issue at hand is the police brutality used by the Spanish state upon its own citizens, the issue at hand is the criminalization of the right to vote, to express oneself in a democratic state…the issue at hand is a ridiculous king who teaches people about democracy…get that? A king, a monarch, who lectures about democracy? And the issue at hand is Western Europe’s ever historical shamelessness when it comes to small people. All Intercept is doing is reporting facts. I wish they went a step further and did some analysis on what is happening in the historical context. That would be helpful. As per your account, it means nothing.
The euroclowns exhibit huge hypocrisy, this time regarding Catalan referendum
http://bit.ly/2g6HC7B
Spain and the EU has joined Russia in the subversion of Western civilization and democracy.
Holy shit. I was being sarcastic, but looks like the Russians are in Catalonia stirring shit up:
Catalonia held a referendum. Russia won.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/catalonia-held-a-referendum-russia-won/2017/10/02/f618cd7c-a798-11e7-92d1-58c702d2d975_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.7daebfa93c02
Get off your arse McKay –find some Russian interference. It looks like Putin supports the separatist movement along with the fricking Venezuelans.
If it’s from the Washington Post, it’s probably pure propaganda.
Of course the Russians are doing that. This is not a movement fighting for civil or human rights. This is a nationalist movement that is seeking to declare independence unilaterally and illegally, silencing over half of the Catalonian population who prefer the rule of law and the unity of Spain (and Europe). The Russian government fosters any national feeling they can identify in Europe.
That is for sure.
I can tell you the Spanish El Pais (https://elpais.com) is not propaganda (they have unmasked the most important corruption scandals in Spain, involving mainly the current government), and the picture they give is the same: The Russian government supports this nationalist revolution in Catalonia.
Probably? If it is not propaganda the Washington Post would not print it.
“Holy shit. I was being sarcastic, but looks like the Russians are in Catalonia stirring shit up:”
LOL – you actually believe that WaPo crap??? That’s Jackson Diehl, dude-go educate yourself. ??????