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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 19 december 2019
Police gird for separatist protest at Barcelona soccer match

By JOSEPH WILSON Madrid coach Zinedine Zi-
Associated Press dane said Tuesday.
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Barcelona team asked
Thousands of police and its fans to behave with ci-
private security personnel vility and not to affect the
were deployed Wednes- match.
day in and around Barce- A shadowy online group
lona's Camp Nou stadium called Tsunami Democrat-
to ensure that a demon- ic, which is behind the pro-
stration by Catalonia's sep- test, posted a message on
aratist movement does not social media saying: "Hello,
disrupt one of the world's world! Tonight Tsunami has
most-watched soccer a message for you."
matches. Separatist sentiment grew
Spanish league leader Bar- sharply in Catalonia during
celona hosts its fierce rival, the global recession that hit
No. 2 Real Madrid, and the Spain hard. The 7.5 million
separatists want to take ad- residents of Catalonia are
vantage of the global me- about equally divided by
dia coverage to promote the secession question, ac-
their bid for independence cording to polls and elec-
from Spain. tion results.
The game, known as El Separatists have used
Clásico, was postponed Catalan pro-independence demonstrators block a road as they protest outside the Camp the Camp Nou stadium
from Oct. 26 because of Nou stadium ahead of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in as a protest platform for
Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.
fears that the separatists — Associated Press years. They shout "Inde-
then in the midst of a week pendence!" at a set time
of violent protests — would Europe's biggest stadium, waving Catalan pro-inde- movement," the alert read. during matches and some-
try to disrupt it. and more than 3,000 police pendence flags, began "Demonstrations this au- times unfurl banners.
Barcelona is the region- and security guards were gathering at the Camp tumn led to clashes be- The Barcelona team has
al capital of the wealthy on hand. Nou stadium about four tween law enforcement, walked a fine line between
northeast region of Cata- Hours before the kickoff hours before the game. protesters, and counterpro- supporting its fans' right to
lonia. Spain opposes any at 1900 GMT (2 p.m. EST), The U.S. Consulate in Bar- testers." free expression and align-
breakup of the country. police set up metal barri- celona advised people to Organizers have not said ing itself with the greater in-
Protest organizers say that ers around the stadium. A avoid the area or exercise what form the protest will terests of Catalonia. Many
over 25,000 people have special police detail was to caution if they are nearby. take, and police said they feel it does not fully sup-
signed up to gather near make sure the buses carry- "These demonstrations can't rule out an attempt port secession so as not to
the stadium and will try to ing the teams and match present the potential for by demonstrators to inter- anger its Catalan fans who
get inside. Nearly 100,000 officials could arrive on violence between radical rupt the match. are not separatists or its mil-
fans are expected to at- time. groups for and against the "The important thing is that lions of supporters across
tend the match in what is Dozens of protesters, some Catalan independence we play the game," Real Spain.q

Germany’s Merkel criticizes US gas pipeline sanctions threat

By GEIR MOULSON to President Donald Trump Ukraine, which fears being
Associated Press to sign it. "We are against frozen out as a gas transit
BERLIN (AP) — German extraterritorial sanctions, country as a result of Nord
Chancellor Angela Merkel and not just since this deci- Stream 2's construction.
on Wednesday criticized a sion yesterday — we also Those talks are "relatively
U.S. move to impose sanc- have this problem with a hopeful," and "it would be
tions related to a new Rus- view to Iran," Merkel told very inopportune if Ukraine
sian-German gas pipeline, German lawmakers, refer- lost transit fees" because
signaling that she wants dis- ring to the Trump adminis- of the negotiations being
cussions with Washington tration's withdrawal from a complicated by the dis-
but declining to threaten deal between world pow- pute about the pipeline,
retaliation. ers and Iran meant to curb she added.
Russian President Vladi- concerns over Tehran's nu- A lawmaker from the far-
mir Putin's spokesman said clear program and the im- right Alternative for Germa-
that the U.S. government's position of new sanctions. ny party prodded Merkel
move violates international German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes questions as part "I see no alternative to con- for a stronger response.
law and that the project of a meeting of the German parliament, Bundestag, at the ducting talks, though very Merkel rejected his charge
will be completed regard- Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 18, firm talks, (to show that) we that she had failed to de-
less of the sanctions. 2019. do not approve of this prac- fend herself in the past
The U.S. has been an out- Associated Press tice," Merkel said during a against Washington when
spoken opponent of the ropean countries that also sentatives passed a bill regular question-and-an- it emerged that the Na-
Nord Stream 2 pipeline, oppose the project, the last week that provides for swer session in parliament. tional Security Agency had
which will transport natural U.S. government argues sanctions against foreign- "We will see how things go snooped on her cellphone.
gas about 1,200 kilometers that it will increase Europe's ers involved with ships lay- with Nord Stream." "We didn't back off on the
(750 miles) under the Baltic dependence on Russia for ing sections of the pipeline. She noted that talks are un- NSA and we don't intend to
Sea from Russia to Germa- energy. The Senate approved the der way on a new gas con- do so here, either," Merkel
ny. Along with eastern Eu- The U.S. House of Repre- bill Tuesday and it's now up tract between Russia and replied. q