Date Published: 17/10/2019
ARCHIVED - Fireworks launched at police helicopter on the third night of violent protests in Catalunya
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
30 arrested and 80 injured as protesters burn cars, trees, traffic lights and street furniture
Once again the stated aim of the Catalan separatist leaders to hold massive but peaceful protests against the prison sentences decided on for 9 of their colleagues on Monday was thwarted on Wednesday night, when scenes of violence and chaos were accompanied by the sounds of police charges, wailing sirens and screams as the minority bent on violence and destruction lit fires and set up barricades in the streets of Barcelona.
At one point demonstrators even launched fireworks a police helicopter hovering low over the crowds in an attempt to bring it down – an attempt which, had it been successful, would of course have had disastrous consequences for the protesters themselves.
It is reported that members of the CDR (republican defence committee) groups hurled acid and Molotov cocktails at the national and regional police officers attempting to maintain law and order, and if anything the level of violence escalated further on Wednesday than on either of the two previous evenings. Six motor vehicles were burnt by “protesters” and the night ended with 33 arrests and 80 people injured, as well as considerable damage to public property and street furniture including road signs, traffic lights, incinerated rubbish containers and even trees.
Neither was the violence and vandalism restricted to Barcelona, with arrests and injuries also reported in Girona, Tarragona, Lleiida, Manresa and Villanova y Geltrú. Among the injured are 35 officers of the Mossos d’Esquadra (the regional police force of Catalunya) and 11 belonging to the Policía Nacional: it is worth noting that the two forces appear to be collaborating effectively and without rivalry, unlike two years ago during the momentous events between the partially held outlawed independence referendum on 1st October and the unilateral declaration of independence from Spain in the Catalan parliament 26 days later.
Meanwhile, the attitude of the current president of the Catalan government, Quim Torra, has been heavily criticized. Rather than immediately condemning the violence as his 9 former colleagues in prison have already done, during the afternoon he joined one of the protest marches organized by grass roots pro-independence groups.
It was not until after midnight on Wednesday that he cautiously criticized the violence, stating that “we have always condemned violence” and that “there is no justification for burning cars or committing acts of vandalism”, and even then he attributed the chaos on the streets to “groups of infiltrators” who, he says, are attempting to damage the image of the separatist movement. He then reiterated his commitment to putting the issue of independence from Spain to the vote again during his term as president, which began in May 2018.
Even within the separatist movement there has been criticism of Sr Torra’s role, with members of different political parties accusing him of urging people to take part in the demonstrations whatever the consequences while at the same time sending in the Mossos d’Esquadra to prevent the demonstrators from causing disruption.
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