Catalan separatists block access to Barcelona airport, more than a hundred flights cancelled
Record ID:
1436691
Catalan separatists block access to Barcelona airport, more than a hundred flights cancelled
- Title: Catalan separatists block access to Barcelona airport, more than a hundred flights cancelled
- Date: 14th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) CATALAN SEPARATIST PROTESTERS BLOCKING HIGHWAY LEADING TO BARCELONA'S AIRPORT TERMINAL AND CHANTING PEOPLE WALKING ON HIGHWAY, FLIGHT LANDING IN THE BACKGROUND RIOT POLICE MARCHING BESIDE PROTESTERS IN HIGHWAY TRYING TO CLEAR WAY PROTESTERS MARCHING HOLDING CATALAN SEPARATIST 'ESTELADA' FLAGS RIOT POLICE TRYING TO MOVE PROTESTERS FROM HIGHWAY PROTESTERS BLOCKING ROAD RIOT POLICE MARCHING ALONG WITH PROTESTERS PEOPLE WALKING IN HIGHWAY, AIRPORT IN THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING HOLDING CATALAN SEPARATIST 'ESTELADA' FLAGS TRAFFIC JAM / TOURISTS WALKING BESIDE CARS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN TOURISTS SAYING AS THEY WALK AWAY WITH THEIR LUGGAGE: "Disagree, disagree." (SOUNDBITE) (English) STRANDED GERMAN TOURIST SAYING: "I'm from Germany and I have to go to get a flight." (SOUNDBITE) (English) STRANDED TOURIST FROM THE UNITED STATES SAYING: "We were in a taxi and he let us out. He said, 'I can't go any further and you have to go this way,' so we are walking this way." COUPLE WALKING SAYING IN SPANISH: "We are from here." / REPORTER ASKING: "What happened?" / (UPSOUND) (Spanish) "We can't reach the terminal." MAN RUNNING THROUGH CARS IN TRAFFIC JAM HOLDING LUGGAGE TRAFFIC JAM, AIRPORT SIGNS IN THE BACKGROUND PROTESTER WALKING PAST CARS CARRYING FLAG READING IN ENGLISH: "Freedom for Catalonia" COUPLE CARRYING CHILDREN WALKING THROUGH TRAFFIC JAM / REPORTER ASKING IN ENGLISH "Are you going to the terminal?" / WOMAN ANSWERING IN ENGLISH: "Yes, we are very late" / REPORTER ASKING IN ENGLISH: "Where are you from guys?" / WOMAN ANSWERING IN ENGLISH: "From Estonia" / REPORTER ASKING IN ENGLISH: "And what do you think about this demonstration?" / WOMAN ANSWERING IN ENGLISH: "Very crazy." PLANE LANDING, PROTESTERS WALKING IN HIGHWAY VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE BLOCKING PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO AIRPORT WHILST LETTING OTHER THROUGH RIOT POLICEMAN LISTENING TO TWO-WAY RADIO VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE FORMING SECURITY LINE RIOT POLICE ON ROADSIDE VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE LINE BLOCKING ACCESS AND PROTESTERS STANDING NEARBY (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER SAYING: "We have been stopped here by the police without further instructions. We are retained and detained, but nobody is communicating with us exactly what we are accused of and no instructions have been given, so it is kind of a police state." PROTESTER WITH FLAG READING IN CATALAN: "FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS"
- Embargoed: 28th October 2019 18:22
- Keywords: Supreme Court ruling Catalan separatist leaders sedition protest Catalan separatists Catalonia Spain
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001B12L7PJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Catalan separatist protesters on Monday (October 14) blocked access to Barcelona's international airport after Spain's Supreme Court jailed nine separatist leaders.
Protesters had previously announced they were going to "stop the country" after the sentence was announced.
Dozens of stranded tourists were seen making their way walking to the airport through the traffic jam. The airport authority AENA said in a tweet 108 flights had been cancelled due to the protests.
Thousands of protesters were gathered outside and dozens were in one of the access halls to the airport, where they clashed with riot police.
The court case concerned an independence referendum held in October 2017 despite being ruled illegal by Spanish courts, and the subsequent short-lived declaration of independence by the regional parliament.
The longest prison term - 13 years - was imposed on the Catalan government's former deputy leader, Oriol Junqueras. The court convicted him and eight other leaders on charges of sedition and four of them of misuse of public funds.
Three other defendants were found guilty only of disobedience and not sentenced to prison. All defendants were acquitted of the gravest charge, rebellion.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Luis Felipe Fernandez, Miguel Gutierrez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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