- Title: Hundreds of thousands of Catalan demonstrators protest against "unfair" sentence
- Date: 18th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS WITH PRO-INDEPENDENCE FLAGS MARCHING IN CENTRAL BARCELONA THOUSANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN PASSEO DE GRACIA AND GRAN VIA BOULEVARDS PROTESTERS WAVING SEPARATIST FLAGS PEOPLE OBSERVING FROM A BALCONY DEMONSTRATORS WITH SEPARATIST FLAGS PROTESTERS WRAPPED IN SEPARATIST FLAGS, SINGING "ELS SEGADORS", THE CATALAN ANTHEM, PROTESTERS FILMING WITH MOBILE PHONES PROTESTERS CLAPPING AFTER CATALAN ANTHEM PROTESTERS ROSA LALINDE, 54, AND RAMON DORIA, 69, WHO WERE MARCHING FROM VIC (70 KM NORTH OF BARCELONA), WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER ROSA LALINDE, LAWYER, SAYING: "We think it is not only a Catalan issue, for instance I'm from Soria, but it is a threat to everyone's freedom if a few want to impose themselves and prevent the exercise of democracy like in October 1. I think freedom is in danger, not only freedom of expression, but all of them." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER RAMON DORIA, WRITER, SAYING: "The world in China changed for 900 or a billion Chinese the day they started a huge march. Marches are a step forward. Unfortunately humanity changes little by little, but it needs to begin to change." VARIOUS OF PROTESTER WITH A SIGN READING (in English) "HELP CATALONIA NOW" PROTESTER IN SOCKS, BOTTLE OF WATER ON GROUND PROTESTERS SITTING ON THE GROUND AND IN A BENCH WITH A SEPARATIST FLAG PROTESTERS SITTING ON THE GROUND DEMONSTRATORS SITTING ON THE GROUND AND EATING A SANDWICH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER MARIA ROSA, RETIRED, SAYING: "We must save the political prisoners, we must be by their side. They defended us, now we must defend them." PROTESTERS IN SOCKS RESTING HIS FEET ON SHOE PROTESTERS WITH HIS SHOES OFF SITTING ON THE GROUND RESTING AFTER THE LONG MARCH AND TAKING A DEEP BREATH VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS WITH A PRO-INDEPENDENCE FLAG EATING A SANDWICH PROTESTERS FOOT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER DAVID IBAÑEZ, TENNIS COACH, SAYING: "I came with my son and we come from Sant Cugat, we began walking at 8 in the morning and we arrived now at 2:45 (pm). ¿Feelings? Amazing, to see more people joining as we passed each village: Cerdanyola, Ripollet, Moncada, Ciutat Badia, the entrance of Barcelona... It was amazing." PROTESTERS DOING A WAVE WITH THEIR ARMS DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING "FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS" STREET FULL OF DEMONSTRATORS WALKING TOWARDS CENTRE THOUSANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED AT CENTRAL BARCELONA SQUARE DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING WAVING SEPARATIST FLAGS AND YELLOW RIBBONS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WALKING PROTESTERS SITTING ON THE GROUND, GRAFFITI IN THE BACKGROUND READING (in Catalan) "SMILE, TOMORROW GENERAL STRIKE" VARIOUS OF THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED
- Embargoed: 1st November 2019 15:09
- Keywords: Spain Catalan protests independence Barcelona blocked roads pickets convicted separatist leaders protesters general strike in Catalonia
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1MJZGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators arrived in central Barcelona on Friday (October 18) wrapped in separatist flags and protesting against what they consider an "unfair" sentence over nine separatist leaders.
Protesters joining the "Marches for Freedom" began their journey on Wednesday (October 16) from five different points in Catalonia, others joined the marches along the way.
Thousands of protesters filled an entire highway on Friday as they approached to the capital of Catalonia, waving pro-independence flags and chanting "freedom for political prisoners".
Demonstrators protested peacefully while singing Catalan anthem.
Tensions between Madrid and Catalonia have been rising since Monday (October 14), when Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine politicians and activists to up to 13 years in jail, triggering huge protest, some of them violent.
(Production: Marco Trujillo, Miguel Pereira, Guillermo Martinez, Silvio Castellanos, Luis Felipe Fernandez, Lorena Cabral) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
