Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 21 sepTember 2017
Clash over Catalan vote heats up in Spain as police swoop in

By ARITZ PARRA The Catalonia branch of
CIARAN GILES Spain’s High Court said
Associated Press Wednesday that some 20
MADRID (AP) — Thousands people were being inves-
of people supporting a tigated for alleged disobe-
contested referendum to dience, abuse of power
split Catalonia from Spain and embezzlement relat-
took to Barcelona’s streets ed to the referendum. Po-
amid an intensifying gov- lice acting on a judge’s or-
ernment crackdown on ders searched 42 premises,
the independence vote including six regional gov-
that included the arrests ernment offices, officials’
of a dozen regional offi- private offices and homes,
cials Wednesday and the as well as three compa-
seizure of 10 million ballot nies in Barcelona, the court
papers. said in a statement.
The arrests — the first involv- The arrests risked stoking
ing Catalan officials since public anger in Catalonia,
the campaign to hold an where pro-independence
independence vote be- passions can run high. Sev-
gan in earnest in 2011 — eral thousand indepen-
prompted the regional dence supporters gath-
government and some of Demonstrators react as they try to stop the car carrying Xavier Puig, a senior at the Department of ered to angrily protest the
its supporters to say cast- External Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency of the Catalan Government office, after raids outside government
ing a ballot was as much he was arrested by Guardia Civil officers in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017. Spanish offices in Barcelona, which
about dignity as whether police arrested 12 people Wednesday in raids on offices of the regional government of Catalonia, is Catalonia’s capital. Some
to break away from Spain. news reports said, intensifying a crackdown on the region’s preparations for a secession vote that demonstrators sat down in
Regional Catalan officials Spain says is illegal. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) the street to block police
so far have vowed to ig- cars, while a few scuffled
nore a Constitutional Court rights and an attack to de- can’t be curbed by any cisco Franco’s dictatorship. with police officers.Later,
order to suspend the Oct. mocracy,” Rajoy said in a constitution. The prime Spanish Interior Ministry offi- protesters rejoiced when
1 referendum while judges televised appearance on minister’s determination cials would not identify the National Police officers left
assess its legality. Wednesday night. to prevent the ballot has arrested regional officials, the headquarters of the
Spanish Prime Minister Mari- “If you care about the tran- backing from the main saying the investigation anti-establishment CUP
ano Rajoy warned them quility of most Catalans, Spanish opposition parties. was ongoing. The Cata- political party. The officers
of “greater harm” if they give up this escalation of Some members of Rajoy’s lan regional government waited hours for a judge
don’t drop the referendum radicalism and disobedi- conservative government confirmed that among to sign off on a warrant to
bid, which he called a “to- ence,” the conservative have even referred to the them were Josep Maria search the premises for ref-
talitarian act.” leader said, addressing standoff as democratic Jove, secretary general of erendum-related propa-
“Disobedience of the law Catalan officials directly. Spain’s greatest political economic affairs, and Lluis ganda, but the permission
by a part of the political “You are on time to avoid crisis since 1981, a failed Salvado, secretary of taxa- never came.
power is the opposite of a greater harm.” coup attempt in the coun- tion. Jove is the No. 2 to the Protests also occurred in
democracy, it means an Catalan nationalists argue try’s parliament that came region’s vice president and other Catalan towns and
imposition, an injustice, that self-determination is only three years after the economy chief, Oriol Jun- in Spain’s capital, Madrid.
the violation of people’s an inalienable right that official end of Gen. Fran- queras. q

Election may reflect Germany’s management of migrant influx

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Germany two years ago newcomers were arriving
Associated Press are in language and job daily has fallen along with
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) training courses. Students the number of migrants try-
— German Chancellor are again playing sports in ing to enter the country.
Angela Merkel adopted a the gyms. Rejected asylum At the same time, Merkel
mantra when citizens ques- applicants are being de- has changed her rheto-
tioned her decision to open ported. ric. Along with working to
the country to refugees A national election on Sun- streamline and improve
fleeing wars: “We’ll man- day could show how well services for new arrivals,
age.” She kept repeating it voters think Merkel’s gov- she now emphasizes that
as the lines at immigration ernment managed the ref- migrants not deserving of
offices circled city blocks, ugee influx. asylum will be sent home
school gyms turned into For the chancellor and her and that other European
temporary housing and Christian Democrats, the nations need to share the
the questions devolved signs are promising. The far- work of assisting eligible
into angry criticism. right Alternative for Ger- refugees.
But as Merkel campaigns many party has struggled “Merkel’s government
for a fourth term, the Ger- This Sept. 10, 2015 photo shows German Chancellor Angela to make immigration a started a highly risky ma-
man obsession with “Ord- Merkel taking a selfie with a refugee at the refugee reception major election issue. While neuver with its policy of the
nung”— order — looks center in Berlin, Germany. Two years after her controversial de- the party is expected to absolute opening of the
cision to open Germany’s doors to hundreds of thousands of
to have been assuaged. migrants, Merkel is on track to winning her 4th term in national win seats in parliament for borders,” University of Hei-
Most of the 890,000 asy- elections this month. the first time, the support delberg political scientist
lum-seekers who entered (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP) it drew when thousands of Manfred Schmidt said. q