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INDEPENDENT TD AND Minister for Training and Skills John Halligan has called on the government to address the Spanish ambassador directly with regard to the violence perpetrated by police in Catalonia at the weekend.
In the region of 800 people received medical attention following Sunday’s controversial independence referendum in the north-eastern Spanish region, which saw Spanish police and riot officers deployed in an attempt to halt polling.
Halligan’s words do cite Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s own statements yesterday, in which he insisted that Ireland would not acknowledge the result of the referendum, which saw 90% of those voting choose independence from Spain for Catalonia.
The “government should condemn (the) Catalan violence to (the) Spanish ambassador”, Halligan said, to “convey its horror at voters in any democracy being dragged from polling stations”.
“No matter what one’s views are on the legitimacy of the referendum, I cannot accept that the use of violence by the police force against peaceful voters is necessary in any situation,” he said.
The response by police against the Catalan voters was utterly disproportionate and this needs to be conveyed to the Spanish ambassador in the strongest possible terms.
There had been calls from some opposition politicians yesterday for Ireland to condemn the violence seen during the weekend’s vote.
Varadkar yesterday said that Spain is a “friend and ally” of Ireland, adding that he was “distressed” by the scenes of violence.
He said he didn’t believe violence provides solutions, adding that it only leads to “radicalisation”.
He also said that Ireland recognised the territorial unity of Spain, and will not accept the result of the referendum.
A poll conducted last night, meanwhile, by Amárach Research for RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live, suggests that most Irish people think that the citizens of Catalonia should be allowed to pursue independence from Spain, should they so wish.
Asked “do you support the right of the citizens of Catalonia to vote to pursue political independence from Spain?’, 65% of the 1,000 adult respondents said yes.
10% said no, while the remaining 25% said that they don’t know.
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Mcdonalds is always there for me too. Unfortunately for my waist!!
I hate McDonald’s and yet I find their double cheeseburgers annoyingly addictive…
#Jimmy
Mar tá siad lá le siúrce agus cimicí chun go mbeidh tú tugtha dóibh.
Gaeltan,
Perché si rispondere a un commento in una lingua diversa ? è rozzo
Is maith liom sceallóga agus ispíní.
Eh?
Breaking News: James Franco worked in McDonald’s. Bad day at the office Journal?
I know the feeling James, mc Donald’s has often taken me out of a hole too.
Ironic, mackers has taken the hole out of me more than once.
Silly boy.
To be fair it reads a bit like james got a few dollars for reading that script!
McDonald’s where even the salads are unhealthy.
Pure manure!!
Terrible actor, brutal Director and an even worse artist… one guy that should have never given up the day job…
What have you done lately?
Let’s put this to bed once and for all…Big Mac or Whopper??
Neither.
Big Mac on its own or a Whopper if you whack a few BK onion rings into it! Now thats me darza!!
The double cheeseburger for €2
Often emptied my hole!!
Caroline did?
She always was dirty.
Ask the lads…..
Yeah, Cal is well known………
A “full Irish breakfast” is far more dangerous to your waistline than anything served up in McDonalds.
Anyway,why pick on McDonalds?
ALL restaurants serve up fattening foods.
Ever wondered what’s in that “Nouveau Cusine” they serve up in upmarket restaurants?
At least McDonalds is spotlessly clean and hygienic.
Unlike a lot of other “greasy spoon” dumps you see on the high street.
And a LOT cleaner and hygienic than most Irish kitchens I have seen.
McDonalds sells happiness. I’d have it every other month but never as my main meal of the day.
Large chicken legend meal, salsa, no bacon, with coke. That’s the one and only meal I eat at McDonalds and I’d happily eat it everyday if I could get away with it. Add chicken nuggets and its €10 exactly.
have your say