- Title: Separatist protesters "clean" Barcelona throwing soap into fountain
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 22, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND FOUNTAIN CHANTING IN CATALAN, "FREEDOM FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS" SOAP IN FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SQUIRTING DISH WASHING SOAP IN FOUNTAIN CROWD GATHERED AROUND FOUNTAIN (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) RAMON SELLART, 68, PENSIONER, SAYING: "I think that Pedro Sanchez has lost it a long time ago, he doesn't know what to do, he has a problem and he doesn't know where to grab it from and that's why he didn't answer the phone (When Quim Torra called). The solution is to vote (in a referendum), but of course, to vote you have to have dialogue, and if the Spanish state does not want to talk, there is no interlocutor on that side, nothing can be done, it is very difficult." (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) XAVIER ESCUER, 54, SYSTEM ANALYST, SAYING: "I think the solution would be to sit and have a dialogue. Unfortunately I think that will not happen. I think that the Spanish government does not want to talk, has never talked and will not do so now. It just thinks of repressing and hitting, it does not know how to do anything else, so I think that on the part of the Spanish government there is no solution." (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) ROSANA, 57, ADMINISTRATIVE, SAYING: "Well, it seems a shame that he (Spanish acting prime minister Sanchez) comes to Barcelona and does not meet with the president of all Catalans, but hey, that is his line because he was not able to negotiate before the new elections, he was not able to negotiate with any party to form a government, it is as if he said 'well, let time goes by and that will be fixed', that is, the same as Rajoy." PROTESTERS SHINING LIGHTS FROM MOBILE PHONES VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED AROUND FOUNTAIN CHANTING
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 19:02
- Keywords: Catalonia Spain protest separatists independence umbrella protest
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26K9QF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hundreds of Catalan separatists took to the streets in Barcelona on Tuesday (October 22) and symbolically "cleaned" Barcelona by dumping soap into a fountain.
The wealthy northeastern region was rocked by seven consecutive nights of violent protests after nine Catalan separatist leaders were convicted of sedition on October 14 for leading a failed 2017 bid for independence that included holding a banned referendum.
The atmosphere has calmed down since Sunday (October 20), but the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) remain active calling demonstrations like the one on Tuesday.
Spain's main parties have consistently rejected calls for an independence referendum and acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spurned Catalan regional leader Quim Torra during a quick visit to Catalonia on Monday (October 21), accusing him of failing in his duty to restore order and condemn protest violence.
Torra urged Sanchez on Tuesday "to initiate a dialogue without conditions...in which the Catalan government will defend its right to self-determination."
(Prodcution: Rodrigo Gutierrez, Luis Felipe Fernandez, Catherine Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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