Separatist chaos on the streets of Barcelona as protesters lose faith in divided

politicians

Thousands of people took part in one

of the so-called 'Marches for Freedom' in Barcelona before some protests turned
violent Credit: ALEJANDRO GARCIA/EPA

19 October 2019

On yet another night of smouldering barricades, billowing smoke and whistling

projectiles on the streets of Barcelona, Elisenda Lluch couldn’t help but feel
sympathy for her younger comrades clashing with police.

“I’m done preaching pacifism,” the 57-year-old told the Sunday Telegraph after
attending a massive march in the city center, only a few hours before the city
descended into chaos once again.

“We’ve been peaceful for years, and the verdict was 100 years in prison
altogether,” said Ms Lluch, in reference to the long-awaited Spanish Supreme
Court verdict that sealed the fate of nine Catalan leaders on Monday.

Since then, growing pockets of protests have turned to more aggressive tactics for
the first time since the independence movement went mainstream more than a
decade ago. Exasperated, demonstrators have lost faith in politicians - and
politicians have lost control of the streets.

Chants of 'fascists' aimed at the Socialist government echo between alleyways and
housing blocks. What little hope they held following the ill-fated 2017 referendum,
when the more hardline conservatives were in power in Madrid, has all but
vanished.

But it's not just national politics that is losing touch with the younger people.

Regional politics too is struggling to offer the alternatives needed to pull

demonstrators back from violence, with splits emerging and backroom infighting
among the separatist Catalan governing coalition.
Trust in the government of Catalan president Quim Torra is ebbing away, and the
sense of a leadership vacuum is prevailing, with no end in sight for the chaos on
the streets.

“Politically speaking, Torra is dead. We’re the ones showing the face for them.
They throw the stone, and hide the hand,” said Carlota Martínez and Clàudia
Hernández, two 22-year old girls march in the streets. “We really don’t know who
we are going to vote for.” 

Mr Torra, who was an unknown activist before coming to power, was proposed by
former president Carles Puigdemont. The Spanish courts blocked Mr Puigdemont's
bid to reclaim the post from Belgium, where he fled criticising Spain’s “unfair”
judicial system.

Mr Puigdemont and all his ministers were sacked by Madrid after a failed
declaration of independence in 2017, with most ending up in prison or fleeing to
other European countries.

“We have no leaders,” says Roger, 23, a far-Left activist who believes that
separatist parties can no longer “contain” them. “There were people like [pro-
independence activist] Jordi Cuixart, but he’s now in jail.”

While political leadership is in tatters, the protest movement has its own leaders -
but their identities are hidden. “Now we have an app who tells you where to go and
when,” says Marc, 17. The anonymous protest group Tsunami Democràtic
connects with its followers via Telegram and an Android app, borrowing heavily
from the Hong Kong protest movement. Police have shut down the official website
of the group, but they were immediately replicated by servers hosted in other
countries.

Spanish courts are already investigating Tsunami Democràtic - the group behind
the occupation of the Barcelona airport on Monday - for terrorism. The same
charges have been made towards seven 7 members of the Committees in Defense
of the Republic (CDR) who are in pre-trial detention under accusations of making
explosives.

“They accuse us of terrorism for burning dumpsters,” says 16-year-old Eric. He

belongs to a generation whose earliest political memories are the 2008 great
recession that severely impacted Spain and the rise of the independence movement.
For him, the word “crisis” has been ingrained in his memory.

Spain’s response to the sentencing of the separatist leaders has angered even more
people. “Catalonia is burning, and they’re adding fuel to the fire,” says Roger. He
acknowledges that Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has it difficult.
With a snap general election looming in Spain, the fourth in just as many years,
Catalan independence is set to be the most heated campaign issue.

Sánchez faces growing pressure from Right-wing parties calling for tougher
measures, like the suspension of Catalonia’s regional government.

The only way for Mr Sánchez to rule with a majority is to either pact with
conservatives or gather support from left-wing parties, including Catalan pro-
independence MPs.

He needs to convince Spaniards outside Catalonia that he is tough towards the

independence movement, but at the same time Catalans must feel that he’s open to
dialogue.

Since the riots started on Monday, over 200 police officers have reportedly been
injured in clashes with protesters. More than 300 protesters were arrested. At least
570 people received medical treatment, and some are in hospital with severe
injuries.

Amnesty International denounced the “excessive use of force” of officers against

“people who posed no risk,” including dozens of journalists. Police officers used
rubber bullets and tear gas on protestors on various occasions this week.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/19/separatist-chaos-streets-barcelona-
protesters-lose-faith-divided/