• Catalan crisis: Barcelona-Real Madrid will not be played on 26 October

  • General strike in Catalonia: five marches and thousands of demonstrators expected in Barcelona

  • Catalonia: condemnations of separatist leaders.

    13 years in Junqueras

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October 18, 2019 Former President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, surrendered to the Belgian authorities but was later released. In a statement, Puigdemont himself explained that he decided to appear voluntarily in connection with the new international arrest order of the Spanish Supreme Court. Puigdemont rejects the arrest warrant and opposes "any attempt" to send him back to Spain.



 "As I announced - he declared at the exit - I made myself available to the judges. I appeared now and the judge released me with the adoption of precautionary measures, such as not being able to leave the country without informing him or asking for his permission. ". Asked about the violence that broke out in the streets of Catalonia, Puigdemont recalled that he had "always" expressed against violence.



Meanwhile, there is no sign of stopping the wave of protests that for five days has created tensions throughout Catalonia after the 13-year sentence of Oriol Junqueras and the other leaders of the secessionist political group Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya.

On the day of general strike, called for today 18 October, groups of independence protesters blocked several roads, also closing the one with the French border.



#Barcelona tusristi closed inside the market #boqueria fear clashes during demonstrations and #scioperogenerale #tsunamidemocractic #Catalogna @RaiNews pic.twitter.com/SLVB8g0LgW

- Liana Mistretta (@LianaMistretta) October 18, 2019



But the ranks of Protestants will tend to swell due to the arrival of columns of other supporters of the independence cause arriving from the rest of the region and who will focus on Barcelona.





Madrid, violence will not go unpunished

"During this week there have been episodes of violence by minority groups, but well organized. Their actions will not go unpunished." This was stated by the acting Spanish Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who spoke at a conference on the protests and clashes in recent days, which broke out following the condemnation of some Catalan separatist leaders. This was reported by the Spanish newspaper El Pais.



The Sagrada Familia suspends visits

The Sagrada Familia has announced the suspension of all visits due to the general strike and marches that will go on in Barcelona throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the first of the five 'Freedom Marches' that started from different areas of Catalonia arrived in the city after walking for three days from Vic and Berga.

The other parades come from Girona, Tarragona and Castelldefels.