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Updated 3.26pm
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Spaniards rallied in Catalonia’s capital Barcelona today, waving national and European flags and chanting “Viva Espana!” to denounce regional lawmakers’ vote to sever the region from Spain.
Crowds of protesters swarmed, singing and clapping, through Barcelona’s streets in a sea of red-and-yellow Spanish flags, brandishing placards reading “De Todos” (It belongs to all of us).
Municipal police said the crowd numbered about 300,000 while organisers said 1.3 million turned out and the central government’s representative in Catalonia put the figure at one million.
Spain’s biggest political crisis in decades mounted on Friday when secessionists in the Catalan parliament voted to declare the wealthy northeastern region of some 7.5 million people an independent republic.
The central government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reacted swiftly by temporarily stripping the region of its autonomy and declaring the dismissal of secessionist regional president Carles Puigdemont and his executive.
‘We are all Catalonia’
“We are all Catalonia,” proclaimed a massive banner, as marchers, young and old, chanted “Prison for Puigdemont”.
“I am enraged about what they are doing to the country that my grandparents built,” said Marina Fernandez, a 19-year-old student from Girona, a separatist stronghold.
She told AFP she cannot speak out in her hometown for Spanish unity or “leave my house with the Spanish flag”.
Meanwhile, the deputy president of the deposed Catalan government lashed out at Madrid, over what he called a “coup d’etat”.
“The president of the country is and will remain Carles Puigdemont,” the deposed leader’s deputy, Oriol Junqueras, wrote in Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui.
‘They are dictators’
Junqueras used the word “country” to refer to Catalonia, and signed off as the region’s “vice president”.
“We cannot recognise the coup d’etat against Catalonia, nor any of the anti-democratic decisions that the PP (Rajoy’s ruling Popular Party) is adopting by remote control from Madrid,” he wrote.
On top of firing Catalonia’s government, Rajoy dissolved its parliament and called December 21 elections for the region.
Spain’s ambassador to France, Fernando Carderera said Puigdemont will be “invited to present his candidacy” for the election.
Flor Pena, a 59-year-old originally from the northwestern autonomous region of Galicia, described the separatist actions as “shameful”.
“The thing to do now is to beat them at the polls,” she said.
She was part of a throng gathered near the spot where tens of thousands of people had celebrated the new “republic” with song, wine and fireworks on Friday.
“They have made fools of us,” Miguel Angel Garcia Alcala, 70, who had travelled from the town of Rubi, 22 kilometres (14 miles) from Barcelona, told AFP.
“It is illegal what they have done… They are dictators.”
‘Return to normality’
The Catalan crisis was triggered by a banned independence referendum on October 1 that was shunned by many and marred by police violence.
Representatives of Rajoy’s PP and other parties were at at Saturday’s rally, in what for some resembled the start of an election campaign.
An opinion poll published in centre-right newspaper El Mundo said separatist parties would lose their majority in Catalonia’s regional parliament if elections were held today.
“We have to turn out and vote to defend a return to normality,” former European Parliament president Josep Borrell, who is from Catalonia, told the rally, taking place a day after thousands of people joined a similar march in Madrid.
‘Democratic opposition’
As prosecutors prepared to file charges of rebellion against Puigdemont next week, he called yesterday for “democratic opposition” to Madrid’s decision to impose direct rule – the first curtailment of regional autonomy since Francisco Franco’s 1939-75 dictatorship.
The immigration minister of Belgium, itself dealing with political tensions between French- and Flemish-speaking regions, said it could offer Puigdemont asylum.
“It’s not unrealistic, looking at the current situation,” said Theo Francken, a member of the Flemish separatist N-VA party.
Roughly the size of Belgium, Catalonia accounts for about 16% of Spain’s population and attracts more tourists than any other region of Spain.
It produces a fifth of Spain’s economic output – making the region’s economy the same size as Portugal’s.
Barca vs Madrid
Before the upheaval, Catalonia enjoyed considerable autonomy, with control over education, healthcare and policing.
But while fiercely protective of their language, culture and autonomy, Catalans are divided on independence, according to polls.
Spain has the backing of the United States and allies in a secession-wary European Union still reeling from Britain’s decision to leave.
Many fear the economic impact as the standoff drags on, and about 1,700 companies have already moved their legal headquarters out of Catalonia.
Later Sunday, Real Madrid football club, supported by Rajoy, face Puigdemont’s favourite, Girona, in the Catalan side’s home stadium.
Tell Faite Ireland to take a hike. Never seen any of them in an locals pub
@Kieran Monaghan: They go undercover. And they know you. They have you on a list of ‘not great’.
@Kieran Monaghan: second wave coming to a town near you….
@Canyon: thanks dr Canyon
@Tomás Tiernan: https://www.irishpost.com/news/sixteen-friends-test-positive-for-coronavirus-after-night-out-at-irish-pub-in-the-us-187058
@Charles Coughlan: thats america not ireland!!
@Tomás Tiernan: That’s America, could be Ireland you mean.
@Tomás Tiernan: do you think we are somehow more resistant to the virus? Covid doesn’t know whether it’s in America, Ireland or the moon.
@Tomás Tiernan: don’t need to be a Dr to figure these things out….I’m not a pilot either but I know a plane won’t fly if the wings are missing.
Why in the F is Failte Ireland (a tourism trade organization) making decisions on businesses who’s main trade for the next few months will be their local community and not tourism.
@John Egan: It may seem that way, however Failte Ireland promote Ireland to the Irish tourist i.e. they want you to holiday in Ireland as well as supporting industry in developing a product to attract an international toourist and so therfore want pubs, restaurants, attractions etc to open to cater for this market, especially as Ireland will have no international visitors this summer. Restaurants and pubs are members of FI and so expect that support.
@Gisele Mansfield: I’ve yet to hear of anyone holidaying in Crumlin Dublin 12. Only locals use local pubs and most of them don’t serve food.
@Gisele Mansfield: True for a % of the pub trade – but our country is more than a tourist ‘product’ and most of these so called experts are marketeers who specialise in making attractive TV commercials to attract visitors from overseas and build a brand image for Ireland. They haven’t a clue about running the SMEs and shouldnt be allowed within an arses roar of decisions and management of reopening and getting our lives back – this increasingly nanny state ham fisted reopening is wearing very very thin on a LOT of people who have tolerated a LOT of horseshit* these past few months – need to look to Germany or some other intelligent countries who have managed to reopen hospitality without the need for making an evening out seem like 1984 complete with no music but regular public announcements need to made to remind people of the advice and guidelines – jesus wept im losing the will to live listening to their horseshite.
@Margaret Doyle: if they don’t serve food then they are outside the remit of FI in this particular article. Regardless of where the pub is situated.
@Dave Hammond: true. But this article has picked up on comments made by a FI spokesperson and so relates to our tourist product. I agree we need to look to other countries and learn from them, however the pub culture in some European countries is very different to Ireland.
I was thinking that the pub will be more like a restaurant. One of the pubs local to me serves food from breakfast to 9pm in normal times. On a Sunday evening there are lots of people enjoying some food and drinks, staying ab hour or two and then heading home. That’s what I’m imagining… but maybe not.
105 minutes – that’s at least 21 pints.
@Eugene Tyson:And an aul package of crips.
@Eugene Tyson: Lightweight.
This virus is all about control and boy are they milking it
@Margaret Kane: Control? So you think somebody or something set this virus upon us to control us?
@Margaret Kane: who are ‘they’? What genius organisation is behind this? Government, NPHET, HSE?
@Dave Harris: no but they are definitely milking the opportunity for Nanny State Ireland – the fact they are trying to explain that you can have 1 metre as long as you pay 9 euro but can’t open with less than 2 metres if you don’t is evidence enough for me they are full of shi*.
105 minutes. Who comes up with this stuff? This is Ireland, at 105 minutes we’ll be playing swap the fake moustache and order another round. In all seriousness, if the prospect of whats on offer is no craic whatsoever, people won’t go. I understand the necessity, but nobody wants their leisure time to be on the clock. Except for birthday sex, obviously.
@Rochey77: 90minute soccer game plus 15min half time break =105 mins
@Rochey77: ‘people won’t go’ -
some got up at 3am to q thru the night for Penneys !!!!!
@Canyon: Hope there isn’t much injury time :-) better off giving the first 10 minutes a miss
I heard that interview with that Tara wan and honestly she didn’t know what she was talking about! She was unable to answer questions put to her by the presenter, she hummed and hawwwed and confused herself. She really doesn’t know anything so I certainly wouldn’t be listening to this!!
I’ll have the chicken curry. Hold the rice. Hold the chicken. Hold the curry. And 6 of your finest pints as well, please.
No thanks I’ll pass on that one
As a publican who operates a small local pub where the regulars are like family and call in for a chat and the craic with their friends how can I be expected to tell them , sorry you must book a table and get out after 105 mins or any other timeframe , sur most of them are only getting settled in by then . Then you have the lads who come in on their own , sit at the bar and chat with myself or whoever is working . How do I tell them you can no longer sit at the bar . We won best local pub a couple of years ago because we treated the customers like family . What they are asking us to do now is not just going to be super costly for my business but also not how I want to treat my customers without whom I have no business . Common sense needs to prevail or goodbye The Local Pub .
@John Whyte: you don’t. Just ignore this nanny state crap and run your business
@John Whyte: Just run your business as normal. You don’t have a choice sir! You need to do this. We have been controlled enough. They are preying on people’s freedom at this stage I don’t care what anyone says.
105 Minutes. What happens when it goes into Extra Time. / Penalties
Is Board Failte the Now Dep of Health
@pat seery: i was surprised that this wasn’t really questioned by the media – who. decided these quangoes can start having a say in how we live our lives – they are experienced marketeers that spend money on glossy tv ads to build brand Ireland to american muppets – they havent a bulls notion about anything else.
I’ll just wait until 20th July….Yeesh
I’ll have that chicken Kiev take away in 2 hours. Also can you have a taxi ready. Now let’s start drinking for a couple of hours.
Define a substantial meal.
@MollyMsalone: Define substantial, and I’ll have a go.
@MollyMsalone: they already have. A meal that you’d expect as a main course to a midday or evening meal of, at least, 9 euro value
@MollyMsalone: 6 Guinness.
all the places where people gather they are trying to keep people apart so let’s open the feckin pubs add the demon drink so the vintners can pay their Bill’s and turn pubs into hug a rama remember the mayor from jaws ( theirs still July it’s only a shark we will put more life guards on )
jaws 2 was rubbish however (Covid the return) will be a real bleedin disaster..
So it’s settled. We’re going on a pub crawl with a shepherds pie for the table.
Ah jaysus, how the fupp are we expected to ate the dinner, drink 6 pints, and have a game of 45 in 105 minutes?
FO FI.
Preferred yiz when ye were “Bored” Failte.
have your say