Participants of the so-called “Freedom March”, departing from various cities of Catalonia to Barcelona on Wednesday, reached the final point of their route. Now they are at the stele in the alley of Gracia.
The columns are located on four streets on opposite sides of the intersection. There is no official data on exactly how many people are participating in this action.
Participants chant: “Independence!” and “The streets will always be ours!”.
Five columns left for Barcelona on Wednesday – from Girona, Vic, Bergi, Tarrega, Tarragona. Along the route of the columns, supporters from other cities and towns joined them. In a column from Girona, a small section was passed by the Head of the Catalan generals Kim Torra, as well as other members of his government.
A woman of about fifty lives in Barcelona and also joined the action only here. The requirements are the same – referendum and independence.
“But only in a peaceful way”, – she said.
She, as a resident of Barcelona, ”absolutely does not like what happens on the streets at night”. Since the beginning of the week, riots have occurred in the Catalan capital and other cities, hundreds of people have suffered, among them more than 200 representatives of the rule of law.
Many streets are blocked due to actions in the center of Barcelona, some metro stations are closed, and bus traffic is limited.
Near the headquarters of the National Police there was a fight between law enforcement officers and protesters, two young people were detained.
The so-called “Freedom March” was organized by the public organizations the Catalan National Assembly (KPA) and the Omnium Cultural, whose leaders Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Quichard were sentenced by the Supreme Court to nine years of imprisonment due to involvement in an illegal independence referendum in 2017. The action was supported by the radical organization “Committees for the Defense of the Republic”.
A general strike is taking place in Catalonia on Friday – protesters block roads (including roads to France and Andorra), hold rallies. According to the latest data, about 30 routes are blocked. At the airport in Barcelona more than 50 flights are canceled, transport runs at increased intervals.
Rallies, roadblocks, railroad tracks, and riots began in Catalonia on October 14 after the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced 12 Catalan politicians for their involvement in an illegal independence referendum in 2017. Nine people were found guilty of rebellion and received sentences ranging from 9 to 13 years in prison, three people were found guilty of disobedience and sentenced to a fine.
During the clashes in various cities of the autonomous community since the beginning of the week, 550 people were injured, including 200 representatives of law enforcement agencies. More than 100 people were detained.