Spanish Political News

[ddraig]

#Barcelona: About 500 Spanish nationalists and fascists protested earlier tonight. a Fascist salute (in the video at 0:29), 'you shall not vote', 'terrorists'. Or what happens when fascist pro-Spain protesters corner supporters of #Catalonia's independence . Info about the developments in Catalonia: #Catalonia: We Just Want to Stop Pleading

Saw this yesterday, nasty

 

[Anudder Oik]

Saw this yesterday, nasty

These people are frothing at the mouth and absolutely hate catalan Independence. They tried to counter a pro referendum solidarity protest in Madrid's plaza del Sol two days ago and have been gathering outside Guardia Civil police stations in Barcelona to show their support to the police operations against freedom of expression.
I think they may try to attack polling stations in a few isolated locations on the 1st of october but they are very outnumbered in Barcelona and will get the shit kicked out of them if they try. Despite the UAF sister organization trying it's hardest to convert local anti-fascism into something useless, militant anti-fascism in Catalonia is still strong. Loads of football lads and red skinheads who can handle themselves.

However, the polling stations will no doubt be shut down by the thousands of police being drafted in. We're seeing groups of these police wondering around the towns in plain clothes because as of yet they haven't all been activated.

In the last referundum (9 nov 2014) which was not binding I was able to vote but in this one I can't but I will be accompanying other people who intend to excercise their right.

Video of fash being seen off in Girona from a 9 november polling station in 2014.

 

[Anudder Oik]

Latest news: The CUP are calling for a general strike for the 3rd of october, fascists have mobilized in front of the ANC's headquarters in Barcelona and attacked people on friday night and an inspector of the spanish national police has been arrested by the Mossos (catalan police) after he threatened people with a revolver in a bakery in the Sarria district of Barcelona.

 

[Rimbaud]

Cheers for posting updates Anudder Oik, surprisingly little in the news about this.

 

[Anudder Oik]

Cheers for posting updates Anudder Oik, surprisingly little in the news about this.

It's really intense here. The chief of the autonomous catalan police, known as the Mossos, has just refused to allow the Madrid government, via a supreme court judge, to take command of them. The PP are probably going to arrest him for sedition, too. They can't arrest everyone, though.

We may yet see barricades, at least to block the port of Barcelona, where they have opened a car park for hundreds of spanish police vans. They will be the ones who drive out to close down electoral colleges on the 1st. Can we stop them?

 

[Poi E]

Fucking hell.

 

[Riklet]

Aye shit is gonna go down in October. Not heard any of that stuff here Anudder Oik so keep us updated eh!

I've been at home and not seen any right wing loons protesting in Madrid. Looks like they have been but pretty small numbers.

The Guardian refers to the situation being one of 'anger and sadness'. Great headline but I dont think most people have such extreme views over it... And plenty know the PP is dicking up an already someone volatile situation.

 

[Celyn]

Anudder Oik Thanks for posting all this. It's kind of hard to learn what's happening.

 

[J Ed]

Rajoy is the Orban of Western Europe. People forget that the PP is effectively the Francoist successor party, there are still members of the PP in power who were Francoist functionaries. Nick Clegg's father in law was an example of that.

 

[J Ed]

The magistrate responsible for investigating Catalan politicians for 'sedition' was a major figure in the police during the dictatorship and has previously imprisoned Basque Nationalists on terrorism charges for holding signs calling for the release of political prisoners... as part of a puppet show.

 

[J Ed]

Saw this yesterday, nasty

More video coverage of the scum Público Tv - Cientos de ultraderechistas se manifiestan en Barcelona contra la independencia

 

[Arbeter Fraynd]

amazing how little coverage this is getting over here - cheers for the updates Annuder Oik

 

[ddraig]

whilst it's good to have updates, can we have sources too please, as go on some of your other posts i'm personally disinclined to just believe them

 

[planetgeli]

From the FT

Spain ramps up efforts to quash Catalonia referendum
Madrid places all local and national police forces under single chain of command

The Spanish state is attempting to directly co-ordinate all police operations in Catalonia as it prepares to forcibly prevent an independence referendum in the region in a week’s time. But the pro-independence regional government in Catalonia has said it will not comply with the request, opening up another front in a rapidly escalating conflict between Madrid and Catalonia. The struggle risks becoming the greatest political and constitutional crisis in Spain since the country’s return to democracy 40 years ago as the Catalan government heads full-speed towards unilaterally declaring independence. On Saturday, the state prosecutor in Catalonia told all local and national police forces that they had been temporarily placed under a single chain of command reporting directly to the interior ministry in Madrid.

The interior ministry said the prosecutor’s request did not mean the national government was “taking command” of the Catalan police, which is called the Mossos d’Esquadra, but that the move was designed to enhance co-ordination. But in Barcelona it was seen as a way of taking effective control of the autonomous Mossos, with some saying it echoed the move made by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco to abolish the force.

A reported 3,000-4,000 extra state police officers are also being moved up to Catalonia for the referendum. They will join 5,000 state police already based in the region and 17,000 local Mossos.

 

[ddraig]

Madrid moves to take over Catalan police

 

[Anudder Oik]

The chief of the Mossos has been forced to submit and allow a coronel from the Guardia Civil to take command (an expert in the campaigns against ETA, apparently). The catalan government are contesting it as they say it should be a judge and not the central state public prosecutor who gives such an order. Whatever the outcome, the fact that the autonomous police have been taken over weakens the independentista movement.

I was at the protest in front of my local town hall tonite, it was planned all over catalonia. The square was packed and the town hall ended up covered in posters as the PSC Mayor (socialist/right wing labour) is against the referendum. In effect his party has alligned itself with the PP. Pablo Iglesias of Podemos has criticized him for it.

My wife went off fly posting with one of the numerous groups around town tonite.

 

[Anudder Oik]

whilst it's good to have updates, can we have sources too please, as go on some of your other posts i'm personally disinclined to just believe them

One good source is:

Ara.cat

Another is:

VilaWeb - Diari digital líder en català. Última hora, notícies i opinió

 

[Anudder Oik]

The leaders of Podemos had an assembly in Zarragoza this afternoon. Zarragoza is not in Catalonia but in Aragon, the next province heading west. The sports hall ended up being surrounded by 300 fascists and so the delegates, including the mayoress of Barcelona were trapped inside for a while. There were only 16 police available to keep the fascists back, as the entire police force is in Catalonia. All police leave cancelled.

Tonite we saw a group of about 20 cops in plain clothes eating sandwhiches in a bar near the protest. For now they are off duty but they are like an invasion force waiting to be activated.

Una manifestació ultra assetja els càrrecs reunits a Saragossa en l’acte de Podem sense control policíac

 

[Anudder Oik]

The websites telling people where to vote have been taken down but everyone I know who can vote knows where to go. I took these pics towards the end of the protest tonite, there were thousands of people and that's just local.

 

[Anudder Oik]

banging saucepans in Sabadell last night



Calling for the "socialist" Mayor (alligned with PP) to resign in Tarragona.



Small town Valls today singing a catalan folk song



photo gallery of other stuff today. marathon for democracy.

Marató per la democràcia: les imatges del dia

 

[Anudder Oik]

This article mentions that members of CNT in the port of Barcelona have been sounding fog horns during the night to deprive the police in the ship hotels of sleep.

El soldat avergonyit

 

[planetgeli]

Spain’s attorney general refuses to rule out arrest of Catalan president

Spain’s attorney general has refused to rule out the possibility of arresting the Catalan president, as the region’s pro-sovereignty government prepares to defy Madrid by holding an independence referendum on Sunday.

José Manuel Maza said that Carles Puigdemont could face action for disobedience, breaching public duties and misuse of public funds for proceeding with the poll after Spain’s constitutional court suspended the hastily passed legislation underpinning the vote.

Maza said the regional president could be arrested for misuse of public funds as the crime carries a jail sentence. On Monday, he told Onda Cero radio that although such a move had not been judged “timely” as yet, adding: “It’s a decision that’s always available.”

Speaking days after Spanish police arrested 14 Catalan officials, seized almost 10m ballot papers and chartered ferries to accommodate the thousands of extra police officers who are being sent to Catalonia to stop the referendum, Maza rejected suggestions that the government was being heavy-handed.

“On the contrary, we’re making an effort every day not to go beyond what the law allows and, of course, not to be disproportionate,” he said.

Riiiigggghhhhtttt.

Spain’s attorney general refuses to rule out arrest of Catalan president

 

[Anudder Oik]

The only reason these scum haven't killed catalans yet is because europe is watching.

 

[Anudder Oik]

Riiiigggghhhhtttt.

Spain’s attorney general refuses to rule out arrest of Catalan president

For a bourgoise politician Puigdemont is not doing so bad. What'smore the police could arrest him without a judge's warrant, if they deem he is committing a "flagrant" crime. I shit you not. For the PP government, being a Catalan is a crime.

La policia podria detenir Puigdemont sense cap ordre judicial si creu que està cometent un delicte "flagrant"

Visca la Libertad! Visca la Republica! Visca Catalunya!

 

[J Ed]

The only reason these scum haven't killed catalans yet is because europe is watching.

Watching the vids of the fachas outside the Podemos meeting makes me think it's only a matter of time.

 

[Anudder Oik]

The legal struggle for control of the Mossos continues. Today, the Mossos commander didn't attend the meeting with the coronel of the Guardia civil sent to take over control of the autonomous police force. On the catalan news tonite(TV3) they reported that the Mossos command have refused to take orders from this governement appointed officer.

Trapero deixa plantat el tinent coronel de la Guàrdia Civil que vol assumir el control dels Mossos

 

[Anudder Oik]

Watching the vids of the fachas outside the Podemos meeting makes me think it's only a matter of time.

100 nazis mobilized in Valencia today. Valencia is not in Catalunya. They went to picket a pro catalan, pro rights meeting in a theatre and were allowed to get real close up. God knows where the anti-fascists were.

After Zaragoza the independentistas should be alerted but as someone who knows what it's like here organizationally I am not optimisitic about the security of tomorrow nights anti-capitalist (CUP) public meeting, in my neck of the woods, which I intend to go to.

The fascist falange is organizing a protest to coincide with the referendum in plaza Sant Jaume in Barcelona on the 1st of october. This is a massive provocation. Sant Jaume is where the city hall (podemos) and the catalan governmet are. The whole emphasis of the referendum/right to vote movement is about not getting involved in violence and in keeping it peaceful, but this is taking the fucking piss and Barcelona has a, well shall we say, violent tradition when it comes to opposing these bastards.

La Falange convoca una concentració l'1-O a la plaça Sant Jaume en defensa de la unitat d'Espanya

 

[Jeremiah18.17]

The "ante" being well and truly "upped"
Spain to deploy police to prevent Catalan independence vote

 

[Wilf]

Given that it looks like they won't let the poll g0 ahead, it looks like we won't get a real sense of the levels of support for independence. But what is the feeling on the ground? You'd expect the repression to increase the Si vote, but is it really persuading more people? Depends who people are blaming for all this.

 

[Anudder Oik]

Given that it looks like they won't let the poll g0 ahead, it looks like we won't get a real sense of the levels of support for independence. But what is the feeling on the ground? You'd expect the repression to increase the Si vote, but is it really persuading more people? Depends who people are blaming for all this.

The feeling on the ground is widespread, palpable and a little intoxicating. It is exciting to live thru this. Everyone I speak to is talking about Independence and is indignant about the repressive measures of the state. Stuff is going off every day and the tension is building. "We've had enough of this corrupt regime" they say, we need a divorce with the corrupt-right wing heirs of franco.

My mother in law, who is not political, is determined to vote, as are the whole catalan family. This is going to be big. The central government's shitty "regime of 78" attitude I think is pushing people to vote. 78 was the transition year which didn't root out the fascist judges, attorneys, military and church. They are still there, except in Cataluña where they have been gradually edged out by a more progressive people. The referendum is like the icing on the cake to get rid of that baggage and assign it to the dustbin of history.

IMO catalans are a soft and comfortable people, so it remains to see how much civil disobedience occurs on sunday. Tomorrow, the student strikes begin and we all know that the spanish police, to the number of 10,000 or more, have been drafted in to physically block the schools and electoral colleges on sunday. The judges have ordered the catalan police to do this dirty work for them but, by their reaction, I would say they are reluctant to turn on their entire people, despite their record against strikes. I know a Mosso, he is progressive and independentista.

The orders for the police are to place guards on all the colleges (voting places) on friday, two days before the referendum. The students may do mass occupations before that.

It's Spain's repressive forces against the will of the masses. If the Catalans are going to put their money where their mouth is, it's going to be a massive historical event.

I'll be there.