- Title: Clean-up in Barcelona after clashes over separatist sentencing
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 16, 2019) (REUTERS) VIEW OF STREET IN BARCELONA CITY CENTRE COUNCIL WORKERS PICKING UP BROKEN ROAD SIGNS AND BINS VARIOUS OF WORKERS REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) 44-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, MARIA, LAWYER, SAYING: "Well, is a logical response from society. Society takes to the streets and today takes to the streets again. If you ask me about violence, well I was there. These are small groups, it's the minority and most of them are nearly underage. I think these are people who will end up isolated and they are not significant, not significant of the movement which is peaceful and has democratic values I think." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) 20-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, MARINA, UNIVERSITY STUDENT SAYING: "Yesterday a big chunk of the populations took part to the non-violent protests. But, in the afternoon things heated up and we started having fires, scuffles with the police with a number of people wounded. This seemed a bit too strong for me because you had senior people in the streets, you had minors who got hit and ended up seriously injured. It is a bit too much what's happening." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) 68-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, MARCOS VIDAL, RETIRED TEACHER, SAYING: "Every time we have demonstrations in Catalonia, in Barcelona, there is always a minority of exalted people who are trying to violently brake these just and peaceful claims. So, we shouldn't be surprised if they did exactly the same yesterday and today it will go in the same direction. Exalted people brake claims made by a huge majority. These are mostly young people who see no future and see in the Republic of Catalonia the chance for a radical change in Catalan society." VARIOUS OF WORKERS PICKING UP DEBRIS FROM STREETS / COMMUTERS PASSING BY NEWSPAPER KIOSK WITH CATALAN FLAG
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 08:35
- Keywords: Spain Catalonia Catalan separatists independence Iberia
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1CKGG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Council workers cleaned up the streets in Barcelona on Wednesday (October 16), the morning after clashes erupted between Catalan pro-independence demonstrators and riot police in the city's centre in tense protests over the jailing of nine separatists by the Supreme Court over a 2017 independence bid.
Residents in Barcelona expressed concerned about what they called 'minority groups' that have caused the clashes and disrupted peaceful protests late on Tuesday (October 15).
"These are small groups, it's the minority and most of them are nearly underage. I think these are people who will end up isolated and they are not significant, not significant of the movement which is peaceful and has democratic values," Maria, a local resident, told Reuters.
Protesters set garbage containers and cardboard on fire in the middle of central Barcelona streets, including high-end commercial streets home to many of the city's designer stores, according to a Reuters witness.
The clashes are a challenge for the regional, pro-independence authorities and the central government in Madrid, both of which are facing a fragmented political landscape and an economic slowdown.
Catalan separatism has long prided itself on being a peaceful movement and its leaders say that has not changed.
(Production: Miguel Pereira, Tara Oakes, Chiara Rodriquez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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