- Title: Thousands peacefully march in the streets of Barcelona
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING DOWN STREET DEMONSTRATORS ARRIVING TO SANT JAUME SQUARE VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN SANT JAUME SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) MERCE, 70, PENSIONER, SAYING: "They have to let us vote, to let us have a referendum and if 'yes' wins, then yes, and if the 'no' wins, then no. The longer they take without letting us vote, the worse it will be, because people are completely radicalized and there will be more right-wing people but also many more pro-independence people." (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) RUTH MESTRE, 25, ENGLISH TEACHER, SAYING: "I hope that the CUP (far-left pro-independence party) gets votes and there is a pro-independence majority, but the truth is that I do not know. I'm really nervous. I sincerely hope that separatism will gain strength because people are very angry." (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) MARIA JESUS, 54, SECRETARY, SAYING: "I believe that people have to demonstrate throughout Catalonia. It is essential that we are on the streets, it's indispensable, because they will also tell us that this is falling, but independence is growing. I don't know about November 10, anything can happen sincerely. I only wish things do not go well for Mr. Sanchez." DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED AT SANT JAUME SQUARE
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 20:12
- Keywords: Barcelona protest independence Catalonia
- Location: No-Data-Available
- City: No-Data-Available
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2LIREV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of demonstrators peacefully marched in the streets of Barcelona on Friday (October 25) night calling for independence, the release of Catalan separatist leaders from prison, and an end to police action on demonstrators.
Catalonia has been caught in a spiral of protests, some of them violent, since nine separatist leaders were charged with sedition and convicted on October 14 to prison sentences of up to 13 years over their failed 2017 independence bid.
Some of the protests last week ended in riots in Barcelona, the worst street violence Spain had seen in decades, when demonstrators battled police, torched cars and set up burning barricades, introducing a darker element to a previously largely peaceful separatist movement.
Catalonia's failed banned referendum and short-lived declaration of independence in 2017 set off Spain's worst political crisis since the country's return to democracy and is a major issue in the upcoming November 10 general election. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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