Yesterday was mostly a time of celebration for Catalonians who want independence. Silent celebration that is.
The people were rejoiced at the 90% yes result in their ‘illegal’ referendum and at the same time worried about the many hundreds who were still hurt from the police brutality on Sunday.
In the morning Catalan President Carles Puigdemont gave a speech which was closely watched from the sky by Spanish police helicopters, a stunning sight to behold for a European democratic region.
During his address, Mr Puigdemont call for an international mediator to negotiate between Catalonia and Spain on how things are to proceed. The European Union remained tightlipped as it has done since television screens showed the violence on Sunday.
In the afternoon, tens of thousands of students walked the street, all convinced that an independent republic is now the best outcome for the region.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is your alrm clock in a context of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/national?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#national</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/crisis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#crisis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalonia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catalonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/referendum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#referendum</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#spain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/catalanreferendum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#catalanreferendum</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/independence?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#independence</a> <a href="https://t.co/gygvRe3yxf">pic.twitter.com/gygvRe3yxf</a></p>— Anna (@annaportella_) <a href="https://twitter.com/annaportella_/status/915093650702503936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The people of Catalonia, who were mostly divided on the idea of independence before the election, have shifted after witnessing what Spain’s police thought of them voting in their self-organized referendum. Many were interviewed by international press and the mood has certainly turned angry towards the central government in Madrid. People declared that they were surprised by the Spanish reaction on Sunday and now declare themselves ok with Catalonia becoming an independent republic.
Of course all this is easier said than done. Even though the Catalonian leaders will indeed declare independence on Wednesday, it is only so if other countries also accept this legal status. And all the surrounding countries of Catalonia are in the European Union, which still is very silent on the issue.
Today most of Catalonian businesses will be on strike in protest against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who refuses to recognize the outcome of the referendum. People have started stopping traffic in Barcelona by forming a human chain. Everyone is eagerly awaiting how Spanish police will react to this latest protest.
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