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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 16 april 2018

Huge rally in Barcelona to demand jailed separatists go free

By JOSEPH WILSON ists in prison awaiting trial labor unions are asking for
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — for their roles in last year's now is dialogue."
Hundreds of thousands of failed breakaway bid by The secession movement
Catalan separatists rallied the northeastern Spanish in the wealthy region has
in downtown Barcelona on region. plunged Spain into its
Sunday to demand the re- The regional chapters of deepest institutional crisis in
lease of high-profile seces- Spain's two leading labor decades.
sionist leaders being held in unions, along with other Separatist lawmakers de-
pre-trial detention. civil society groups, sup- fied court orders and held
Protesters waved Cata- ported the protest despite an ad-hoc referendum on
lan separatist flags behind the complaints from some independence in October.
a huge banner that read members who don't want Their subsequent declara-
"for rights and liberties, for secession for Catalonia. tion of independence for
democracy and unity, we Barcelona police said the region led to a crack-
want them back home!" 315,000 people participat- down by Spanish authori-
The demonstration was ed in the protest. ties acting to defend the
organized by two pro-in- "The majority of Catalans, Spanish Constitution, which
dependence grassroots regardless of their political declares the nation "indi-
groups, the National Cata- position, agree that pre- visible." The poll surveyed Demonstrators wave esteladas or independence flags in Barce-
lona, Spain, Sunday, April 15, 2018, during a protest in support
lan Assembly and Omni- trial jail is not justified," said 1,200 people and had a of Catalonian politicians who have been jailed on charges of
um, whose presidents are regional UGT union leader margin of error of 2.8 per- sedition.
among the nine separat- Camil Ros. "What we as cent.ard, not Richards.q Associated Press

Vatican: Parents, hospital must talk in UK sick toddler case

By DANICA KIRKA and COL- Academy of Life, a Vatican withdraw life support.
LEEN BARRY bioethics think tank, said Speaking outside the hospi-
Associated Press earlier Sunday that Alfie's tal on Friday, Alfie's father,
LONDON (AP) — Pope Fran- parents and hospital offi- Tom Evans, 21, said he had
cis offered prayers after his cials should work together chartered a jet to take the
traditional Sunday blessing so his life isn't "reduced to a child to Italy but had been
in St. Peter's Square for Alfie legal dispute." stopped by the hospital.
Evans, a terminally ill British Francis' comments mark "If he stays here and dies,
toddler whose parents are the second time in less than he dies," Evans said. "If he
locked with hospital offi- a year that he has inter- goes and he dies at least
cials in a legal battle over vened in the case of a ter- he has died a hero, trying."
his care. minally ill British child. Last The hospital said that it
The pontiff said such situa- July, he spoke out on behalf would not help Alfie to sub-
tions are "very painful and of Charlie Gard, who died ject him to further tests.
complex" as he prayed for of a rare genetic disease This Dec. 19, 2017 file photo shows Tom Evans and Kate James, "Alfie's clinical condition
Alfie and others who are after a vicious court battle the parents of seriously ill Alfie Evans, in England. is truly heart-rending, but
suffering serious infirmities. in which his parents sought Associated Press at each stage of the legal
He expressed hope that treatment first in the United process, which has to be
they "are always respected States and then Italy. Appeal, Supreme Court Hospital in Liverpool as the followed in such cases, the
in their dignity and cared Alfie's parents are prepar- and European Court of Hu- result of a degenerative courts have agreed with
for in a way suitable to their ing for a hearing Monday man Rights have previously neurological condition that the treating team and the
conditions, with the agree- at Britain's Court of Appeal backed doctors, who say doctors have been unable independent expert advis-
ment of family members, during which they will try to Alfie's condition is irrevers- to definitively identify. ers instructed by the trust
doctors and health work- overturn earlier rulings that ible. Protesters gathered outside and the family that Alfie's
ers." have blocked further treat- Alfie, now 23 months old, is the hospital last week after condition is irreversible and
Monsignor Vincenzo Pa- ment. in a "semi-vegetative state" a judge endorsed a plan untreatable," the hospital
glia, head of the Pontifical The High Court, Court of at Alder Hey Children's for doctors at Alder Hey to said in a statement.q