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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 27 March 2023
Pray for rain: Spanish farmers hold unique Mass amid drought

(AP) — When Josep Al- weeks, it's very hard to say
tarriba looks across his what might happen," Altar-
parched fields, the Span- riba, the farmer, said after
ish farmer can't remember celebrating Mass.
a time of such widespread Local councilor and fire-
drought in Catalonia. If it fighter Eduard Perarnau
doesn't rain in the next two described the special Mass
weeks, he says there's little as a last resort. The govern-
chance of saving the har- ment has restricted water
vest. usage, asking farmers to
What can be done? For limit watering crops and
the mountain villagers of trees as much as possible.
L'Espunyola, the answer is All three reservoirs in the
divine intervention. area are below a third of
On Sunday, around 250 their capacity. The nearby
residents brought back the La Baells reservoir is down
faded practice of a spe- to 25%, and in some places
cial Mass and procession only a trickle of water cuts
to pray to Our Lady of the through the layers of silt
Torrents, a local virgin asso- that used to be underwa-
ciated with rainfall. ter.
Under mostly sunny skies, The last time the village of-
worshippers lifted the color- fered prayers and hymns
fully painted statue of the Local residents take part in a procession carrying a replica of the Our Lady of the Torrents, a virgin to Our Lady of the Torrents
Lady of the Torrents from its historically associated with drought, in l'Espunyola, north of Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 26, was in 2008, local media
2023. Farmers and parishioners gathered Sunday at the small hermitage of l'Espunyola, a rural
place of prominence in the village in Catalonia, to attend a mass asking the local virgin Our Lady of the Torrents for rain. reported. And it worked
stone church. Prayers and hymns were offered to ask for divine intervention in solving the earthly crisis. — residents say the rains
She was then nestled onto (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) came not long after.
a wooden litter filled with But this year, the bishop
green branches and hoist- cesc Conesa told The Asso- said this month. Last year ed regions. Agrotourism doesn't guarantee success.
ed aloft, to be carried ciated Press. was Spain's sixth driest — and farming are the pri- "We have asked with faith,
around the village followed Three years of very low and the hottest since re- mary sources of income and many people have
by the bishop and parishio- rainfall and high tempera- cords began in 1961. for the 260 inhabitants of come and prayed with
ners. tures put Spain officially Catalonia, in the coun- L'Espunyola, an hour and a faith," Conesa said. "The
"It's not a magic act, it is an into long-term drought, the try's northeastern corner, half north of Barcelona. Lord will give us what suits
act of trust," Bishop Fran- country's weather agency is among the worst-affect- "If it doesn't rain within two us."q

Hong Kongers hold first protest in years

under strict rules

tional security law following government invoked emer- he would prefer not to wear
massive protests in 2019. gency powers to ban masks the badge printed with a
Critics say the city's free- from public gatherings so it number. Police said ear-
dom of assembly that was can identify protesters who lier the requirement aims to
promised Hong Kong when officials accused of illegal prevent lawbreakers from
it returned to China from acts. joining the march.
Britain in 1997 has been On Sunday, about 80 peo- "But if it is a requirement,
eroded. ple expressed their opposi- what can I say? I prefer
Sunday's demonstration tion to the plans in Tseung not to comment further.
against the proposed rec- Kwan O, a residential and You know what I mean," he
lamation and construction industrial area, the organiz- said.
Protesters wearing number tags during a rally in Hong Kong,
Sunday, March 26, 2023. Dozens of people on Sunday joined of rubbish-processing fa- er said. They had to walk in In granting its approval,
Hong Kong's first authorized demonstration against the cilities was the first police- a cordoned-off moving line police also requested that
government since the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions under approved march of its kind in the rain amid heavy po- organizers ensure there
unprecedentedly strict rules, including wearing a numbered after the city scrapped its lice presence. would not be any acts that
badge around their necks. mask mandate and social Theresa Wang described might endanger national
(AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) distancing limits. the new restrictions as "a bit security, including display-
But organizers had to com- weird" but said they were ing anything seditious.
ply with police require- still acceptable because Cyrus Chan, one of the
HONG KONG (AP) — Doz- sons, came as the financial ments such as taking mea- the city was adjusting to march organizers, said
ens of people on Sunday hub was promoting its re- sures to ensure the number "the new Hong Kong." demonstrators had com-
joined Hong Kong's first au- turn to normalcy after years of participants would not "I'm not happy but we have municated with police on
thorized protest since the of anti-virus controls and exceed the expected turn- to accept it. We have to their promotional materi-
lifting of major COVID-19 political turmoil. out of 100 people and ask- accept what is deemed als and slogans. Officers
restrictions under unprece- During the pandemic, pro- ing for proof of a "reason- legal now," the 70-year-old earlier had told him that
dentedly strict rules, includ- tests were rare due to CO- able excuse" from protest- retiree said, adding that she participants should not
ing wearing a numbered VID-19 restrictions. In addi- ers who wore masks during hoped the protest would wear all-black outfits, he
badge around their necks. tion, many activists have the event. At the height of be a sign the government said. Protesters commonly
The rules set out by the po- been silenced or jailed af- the 2019 anti-government is more open to discussion. wore black during the 2019
lice, who cited security rea- ter Beijing imposed a na- movement, Hong Kong's Protester Jack Wong said protests.q