- Title: Police and demonstrators clash in Barcelona
- Date: 26th October 2019
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 26, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE VANS MOVING TOWARDS PROTESTERS PROTESTERS HURLING OBJECTS AND FLARES AT POLICE POLICE GETTING OUT OF VANS AND CHARGING TOWARDS PROTESTERS SWINGING BATONS SMOKE FROM FLARES, SOME PROTESTERS RETREATING POLICE MOVING TOWARDS PROTESTERS, PROTESTERS MOVING BACK POLICE FACING OFF WITH PROTESTERS
- Embargoed: 9th November 2019 19:33
- Keywords: Catalonia Barcelona independence clashes seperatists
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2QHUTJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of Spanish police with shields and backed by riot vans charged to disperse Catalan pro-independence protesters late on Saturday (October 26) who had gathered outside police headquarters in central Barcelona.
Reuters TV footage showed police forcing their way through the thousands-strong crowd to try to disperse it while demonstrators threw stones and flares.
The city has witnessed daily pro-secession protests since Oct. 14, when Spain's Supreme Court jailed nine politicians and activists for up to 13 years for their role in a failed independence bid in 2017.
The tense standoff with security forces developed at a protest organised outside Spanish police headquarters by CDR (Committee for the Defence of the Republic), a pro-independence pressure group. It favours direct action and has blocked railtracks and roads as well as trying to storm the regional parliament.
That protest drew a crowd of several thousand who chanted for "the forces of occupation" to leave.
Mainstream Spanish parties, including the minority Socialist government, have consistently rejected moves towards Catalan independence and all bar left-wing Podemos are opposed to any form of referendum.
They are now gearing up for a national election on Nov. 10.
Catalan supporters of continued unity with Spain will hold a rival rally in Barcelona on Sunday that the leaders of the country two main centre-right parties, PP and Ciudadanos, are due to attend. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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