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Catalan protests: Roads and train lines blocked in Barcelona and across region one year after independence referendum crushed

Police attempt to stop more demonstrators entering train station in Girona

Tom Embury-Dennis

Monday 01 October 2018 08:58 BST

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Barcelona police clash with Catalan separatists on eve of anniversary of independence referendum

Pro-independence protesters are blocking major motorways, train lines and avenues across Catalonia, one year after a banned referendum was crushed by Spanish police.

Monday's protests have been called on online messaging apps by the Committees for the Defence of the Republic - local activist groups that emerged after the unauthorised vote on 1 October 2017.

In Girona, north of Barcelona, hundreds of activists occupied the high-speed railway tracks, while regional police tried to stop more protesters from entering the area of the station.

Local media also reported road blockages on the AP-7 highway, the main artery along eastern Catalonia leading to the French border, and in central streets of the cities of Lleida and Barcelona, the regional capital.

On Sunday, 14 people were injured and six arrested after police clashed with Catalan separatists in downtown Barcelona. At least one regional police officer was also injured in the riot, according to Catalan authorities.

Violence erupted after separatists protested at a march of around 3,000 people, which was being held to demand Spain’s nationwide police officers were paid as much as Catalan’s regional police.

The clashes come after a poll in late September showed only 15 per cent of Spaniards consider the political situation in Catalonia to have improved, while 69 per cent believe it has worsened.

Polls in Catalonia reveal an ongoing stalemate, with no clear majority either in favour or against remaining in Spain.

Yet while nationalist parties squabble to the point where the regional parliament was suspended for 70 days this summer because of their infighting, the Republican movement has shown no sign of losing its power to mobilise its grassroots supporters.

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

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1/14Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Reapers' War

In 1640, amidst the Thirty Years War, Philip IV of Spain sent his Castilian soldiers into the Catalan region to defend the border with France. The soldiers were not on their best behaviour and drew the ire of the Catalan peasants and politicians alike, at a time when the region was already agitated by economic decline. On June 7, reapers arriving to Barcelona for seasonal harvest work were dismayed to find little of the sort and blamed the stationed soldiers. After a reaper was killed, the revolt began in full force with a fierce uprising known as Corpus de Sang (depicted here in a 1910 painting by Ermenegild Miralles)

Ermenegild Miralles i Anglès

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Reapers' War

More Castilian forces arrived, strengthening the Catalan resolve and leading Pau Claris, President of the Generalitat (Catalonia's political assembly) to declare Catalonia an independent republic on January 17 1641. A week later the republic swore its allegiance to Louis XIII of France and the war came to a head at the Battle of Montjuïc (depicted above by Pandolfo Reschi) where the Franco-Catalan forces were victorious. Following negotiations, Catalonia became an independent republic under the protection of France

Pandolfo Reschi

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

War of the Spanish Succession

As Charles II of Spain died in 1700 without an heir, a variety of nations and other powers across Europe had their own ideas of who ought to succeed him. Catalonia sided with the Austrians, English and the Dutch in endorsing Archduke Charles of Austria, a Habsburg. Unsuccessful in their aims, they were violently brought back under the Spanish crown by the victorious Phillip V. (Depicted above is the Battle of Almansa, a decisive battle in the War of the Spanish Succession)

Ricardo Balaca

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Tragic Week

The conflict of the Tragic Week of July 1909 resulted from Spanish Prime Minister Antonio Maura's desire for power gains in Morocco. He relied on, mostly poor, Catalonian conscripts for the cause, who questioned the motives of the conflict and doubted their chances of survival

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Tragic Week

A general strike commenced on Monday 26 July. By midday the crowds had set fire to the San José Workers’ Foundation, the first of around 80, mostly religious, buildings that they would burn that week. Soldiers and police barricaded streets and fought openly with the strikers

Alamy

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Tragic Week

By the end of the week, the police and army had taken control. Over 1000 strikers were arrested and 5 leading figures executed. This caused disgust across Spain and wider Europe and the episode contributed to the downfall of Maura's government

Getty

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

The Spanish Civil War

In the Spanish Coup of July 1936, Republican forces opposed the Nationalist presence in Catalonia. The National Confederation of Labour (CNT), an anarchist organisation, began to take hold of power in Catalonia

AFP/Getty

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

The Spanish Civil War

As the CNT took control of the Generalitat, companies and organisations were ordered to collective control

Getty

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

The Spanish Civil War

Nationalist forces eventually regained control of the territory. Pictured are their tanks entering Barcelona in 1939

Getty

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

The Spanish Civil War

Barcelona nationalists rejoice at the arrival of General Franco's forces. Catalonia, along with the rest of Spain, was to remain under dictatorship until 1975

Getty

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Independence Referendum 2017

In 2017 the Generalitat passed a motion that a referendum would be held on Catalan independence. The Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that the referendum was a breach of the Spanish constitution, therefore illegal

Reuters

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Independence Referendum 2017

Catalan government buildings were raided in the lead up and polling stations were blockaded by police on the day but the vote went ahead illegally. Turnout was 43% and of those 92% voted for independence

Reuters

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

Independence Referendum 2017

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont declared victory and is pictured here signing a declaration of independence on October 27. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Puigdemont and five other Catalan politicians and the Spanish government did not recognise the result and imposed direct rule over Catalonia, as opposed to its then status as an autonomous community of Spain

Reuters

Every time that Catalonia has revolted - in pictures

2018

A year on from the vote Spain has ended direct rule in the region and dropped the arrest warrants. But on the anniversary of the vote, more than 180,000 protesters took to the streets of Barcelona with the cry "1 October, no forgiving, no forgetting"

AFP/Getty

On Monday morning, Catalonia's regional government returned to a school in northern Catalonia where police stormed in a year ago to bar people - including Catalan president Carles Puigdemont - from voting in the referendum.

The incident left hundreds injured in front of cameras broadcasting the images around the world.

Mr Puigdemont, who ended up voting in another polling station, is now sought in Spain under preliminary charges of rebellion. He has so far fought off extradition to Spain from both Germany and Belgium.

Additional reporting by AP

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