- Title: Separatists protest peacefully after days of Catalan riots
- Date: 17th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WALKING ON THE STREETS WITH SEPARATIST FLAGS PROTESTER CARRYING AN FC BARCELONA BALL OVER PEOPLE'S HEADS, PEOPLE CHANTING AND CLAPPING GROUP OF WOMEN PLAYING SOCCER AT DEMONSTRATION MAN PLAYING WITH BASKETBALL AT DEMONSTRATION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PAULA, 22, STUDENT, SAYING: "I think the sentence was not fair, because it cannot be that politicians receive more years in prison than rapist or people who carry out other kind of crimes. I also think that the separatist movement has been here for several years, it is here to stay. I believe it's a nationalist feeling that Catalans have and we'll respond to authorities depending on their response." (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) MARC CLARAMUNT, 19, STUDENT, SAYING: "Very violent images have been shown, which in my opinion is not our way to act, it should be peaceful, as Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez (jailed Catalan grassroots leaders) said, but they are in prison. If they would be here, they would help to change this." GENERAL VIEW OF PROTESTERS IN THE SQUARE YOUNG PROTESTERS JUMPING ROPE PROTESTERS GATHERED WITH SEPARATIST FLAGS, SOME PROTESTERS USING MOBILE FLASHLIGHT PROTESTERS SITTING ON THE GROUND SINGING AND THROWING BALLOONS OVER THE DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTERS PLAYING WITH A HUGE FOAM BALL PROTESTERS PLAYING VOLLEYBALL PROTESTERS JUMPING ROPE DEMONSTRATOR PLAYING GUITAR AND SINGING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CROWD PROTESTER WAVING CATALAN AND GALICIAN SEPARATIST FLAGS DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED PROTESTERS PLAYING AND SINGING IN CIRCLE PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES AMONG PROTESTERS GENERAL VIEW OF DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING
- Embargoed: 31st October 2019 18:52
- Keywords: Spain Catalonia catalan protest separatists violent protests riot police CDR independence
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1HLX6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands gathered in Barcelona in a fourth day of protests that led to the worst sustained street violence in Spain in decades after Catalan leaders were sentenced to lengthy prison sentences for their roles in a 2017 bid for independence.
Protesters draped in the Catalan flag gathered peacefully on Thursday (October 17), some tossing balls and skipping rope. Nearly 100 people were injured across the northeastern region on Wednesday while cars and rubbish bins were torched overnight and molotov cocktails were hurled at police who responded firing foam projectiles.
Earlier, thousands of students took to the streets, some of them hurling eggs at police holding riot shields.
The Supreme Court found nine politicians and activists guilty of sedition on Monday (October 14) and sentenced them to up to 13 years in jail, sparking mass protests
Independence is a highly divisive issue that polarises the wealthy northeastern region and inflames political sentiment in the rest of Spain. Neither those wanting a split from Spain nor those favouring unity have a majority in the region.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Guillermo Martinez, Silvio Castellanos, Luis Felipe Fernandez, Catherine Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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