Day of general strike in Barcelona. Some 525,000 people, according to the municipal police, demonstrated Friday, October 18 against the condemnation of Catalan independence leaders to long prison terms by the Spanish courts for their role in the secession attempt of 2017.
Theater the day before new clashes between protesters and police officers, the chic avenue of Paseo de Gracia was drowned under a human tide yellow, red and blue, the colors of the independence flag.
With the slogan "Liberty", columns of tens of thousands of separatists, parties Wednesday from five cities in the region, converged in the city for this monster event.
"We have been demanding for years (independence) with a lot of patience and hope that (this mobilization) will be the trigger for the situation to change," said David Blanco, a 56-year-old commercial agent.
On the fifth day of protests against the heavy sentences of nine to 13 years imprisonment imposed Monday to their leaders for the 2017 secession attempt, the separatists also organized a general strike whose effects were evident in the city and in this rich region weighing one fifth of Spain's GDP.
Barcelona at a standstill, the Clasico postponed
In Barcelona, the famous Basilica of the Sagrada Familia had to close while the Liceu opera canceled its performance on Friday. Most of the stands of the Boqueria market, very popular with tourists, and many shops were closed.
According to the authorities, 57 flights were canceled at the airport, while several roads were cut, including the AP7 motorway leading to France.
Car manufacturer Seat, which employs more than 6,500 people, shut down its Martorell plant near Barcelona.
The troubles in Catalonia have also led to the transfer by the football federation of the "Clasico" of October 26 between Barça and Real Madrid, one of the most watched meetings on the planet.
A turning point for the separatist movement
This day of mobilization was preceded by a new night of violence in Barcelona.
Hundreds of youths erected fiery barricades on Thursday night and threw Molotov cocktails at the police, who responded by firing bullets.
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On Tuesday and Wednesday, the city had already experienced these scenes of urban guerrilla after first clashes Monday at the time of the blockade of the airport by some 10,000 protesters.
According to the police, more than 110 people have been arrested since the beginning of the week, including 16 on Thursday night.
Born out of the frustration of part of the separatist base two years after the failed secession attempt of 2017, this violence marked a turning point for the separatist movement, which has always boasted of being non-violent.
Friday, the tension remained palpable with a helicopter constantly flying over Barcelona and some clashes between police and activists near a police station .
With AFP