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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 october 2017

Spanish unionists find their voice in huge Barcelona rally

By JOSEPH WILSON tum appeared to be on his
FRANK GRIFFITHS side. Pro-independence
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — protests were attracting
Spanish unionists in Catalo- large numbers and he
nia finally found their voice benefited politically from
on Sunday, resurrecting the a violent crackdown by
Spanish flag as a symbol of Spanish police during the
patriotism after decades referendum voting.But
of it being associated with now the tide appears to
the Franco dictatorship. be turning. Catalonia’s
In a defiant challenge to top two banks announced
plans by Catalonia’s re- they were relocating their
gional government to headquarters to other
unilaterally declare inde- parts of Spain because
pendence, hundreds of of financial uncertainty if
thousands of people flood- there is an independence
ed the streets of Barcelona declaration. Other com-
in a surprising outpouring of panies are reportedly con-
Spanish unity.They chant- sidering leaving Catalonia
ed “Don’t be fooled, Cat- to avoid being cast out of
alonia is Spain” and called the European Union and
for regional president Car- its common market in the
les Puigdemont to go to A man holds up a sign during a march in downtown Barcelona, Spain, to protest the Catalan case of secession.And Sun-
prison for holding an ille- government’s push for secession from the rest of Spain, Sunday Oct. 8, 2017. Sunday’s rally comes day’s mass demonstration
gal referendum last week. a week after separatist leaders of the Catalan government held a referendum on secession that by pro-unity Catalans, un-
Some of the demonstrators Spain’s top court had suspended and the Spanish government said was illegal. der the slogan of “Let’s re-
took to rooftops, including (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) cover our common sense!”
families with children, and long been taboo here in an Union flags, dominated cidents were reported. will put further pressure on
leaned over ledges from Catalonia and throughout Barcelona’s boulevards. Puigdemont has pledged Puigdemont. The march
their perches overlooking the country because it has Barcelona police said to push ahead for indepen- was the largest pro-union
the streets below to wave been linked to groups sup- 350,000 people participat- dence and is set to address showing since the rise of
giant Spanish flags in a portive of Gen. Francisco ed, while march organiz- the regional parliament on separatist sentiment in the
city accustomed to the Franco’s dictatorship. But ers Societat Civil Catalana Tuesday “to report on the prosperous northeastern
prevalence of the Cata- on Sunday, a sea of Span- said that 930,000 people current political situation.” region that has pushed
lan “estelada.”Spain’s ish flags, interspersed with turned out. The march was In the days after the Oct. Spain to the brink of a na-
red-and-yellow flag has some Catalan and Europe- peaceful and no major in- 1 referendum, the momen- tional crisis. q
Protesters rally across Russia on Putin’s 65th birthday

By V. ISACHENKOV hometown, was disband- ly wasn’t sanctioned and traffic. tioned rally in St. Peters-
I. TITOVA ed by police after protest- urged them to disperse, “We battle for Russia to be burg, where nearly 2,000
Associated Press ers blocked traffic and at- but let the protest continue free from Putinism. Because gathered at Marsovo Pole
MOSCOW (AP) — In a chal- tempted to break through for hours without trying to the power we have now is park and then marched
lenge to President Vladimir police cordons. break it up. feudal, we have no free- across the city chanting
Putin on his 65th birthday, The rallies came as Navalny Mostly teenage protesters dom of speech, no free- “Russia without Putin!” and
protesters rallied across himself is serving a 20-day later walked down Mos- dom of choice,” said pro- “Putin, retire!”
Russia on Saturday, heed- jail term for calling for an cow’s Tverskaya Street to- tester Stepan Fesov. Shortly after, police broke
ing opposition leader Alex- earlier unsanctioned pro- ward the Kremlin, shouting The authorities’ decision up the demonstration, de-
ei Navalny’s call to pressure test. “Putin, go away!” and “Fu- to refrain from breaking taining nearly 40 after some
authorities into letting him In Moscow, several hun- ture without Putin!” up the Moscow protest tried to break through po-
enter the presidential race. dred protesters, most of Police lines blocked them contrasted with a more lice lines. Police said those
Police allowed demonstra- them students, gathered from approaching Red forceful response to previ- detained were released
tors in Moscow to rally near on downtown Pushkins- Square and they turned ous Moscow rallies called and will face fines for block-
the Kremlin in an appar- kaya Square, waving Rus- back. Several hours later, by Navalny, when police ing traffic.
ent desire to avoid mar- sian flags and chanting some made a new attempt detained more than 1,000 One detainee, Marina Buki-
ring Putin’s birthday with a “Russia will be free!” and to march on the Kremlin, demonstrators. na, said she was injured in
crackdown. A bigger rally “Let Navalny run!” Police shouting “Putin thief!” and Police also didn’t intervene the head when a police of-
in St. Petersburg, Putin’s warned them that the ral- briefly attempted to block at first with a bigger unsanc- ficer hit her with a club.q