Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Thousands protest Spain's Catalan separatist amnesty law
AFP ^ | 11 18 2023 | Staff

Posted on 11/18/2023 4:06:51 PM PST by yesthatjallen

Tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday to denounce a proposed amnesty law for Catalan separatists and activists, which was key for the left-wing government to retain power.

Around 170,000 people, according to police, gathered in Plaza de Cibeles in the heart of the Spanish capital in response to a call by right-wing leaders opposed to the amnesty plan.

Cries of "Sanchez, traitor", "Sanchez in jail" and "Catalonia is Spain" were shouted by protesters of all ages who carried Spanish and other European flags distributed by the European People's Party.

"What Pedro Sanchez wants is to cut Spain into pieces, to have the Basque country on one side and Catalonia on the other, and to say nothing happened," said Maria Angeles Galan, a 65-year-old retiree from Madrid at the rally.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in power since 2018, came second in July parliamentary elections behind right-wing leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, but managed to be reinstated after winning support from regionalist groups including Catalan pro-independence parties.

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catalan; nationaldivorce; spain

1 posted on 11/18/2023 4:06:51 PM PST by yesthatjallen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: yesthatjallen

people have a right to self-determination. And self-determination is exactly what the globalist elites are stealing from us and our children through open borders.


2 posted on 11/18/2023 4:24:36 PM PST by imabadboy99
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yesthatjallen

On the one hand, native Catalans are no more Spanish than the Basques are, and on the other Catalonia was the center of the Communist movement that led to the the Spanish Civil War, so if it were me, I’d be as glad to be rid of them as I would be to see Los Angeles or NYC floated out to sea and sunk. But there are economic factors involved. . . . .


3 posted on 11/18/2023 4:29:37 PM PST by Chad C. Mulligan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Chad C. Mulligan

Tourism and finance are huge in Barcelona, and I can understand why the rest of Spain would be reluctant to give that up. The bottom line is that a bunch of Catalonian politicians broke the law with their attempted secession in 2017. Now Sanchez is cutting a deal for mass amnesty in exchange for his retention of power. It’d be like if Southern secession had fizzled out in 1863 and Lincoln then pardoned Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and invited them to join his cabinet.


4 posted on 11/18/2023 4:46:21 PM PST by irishjuggler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: irishjuggler

Cogent argument. A rarity on the web.

Hat tip to you.


5 posted on 11/18/2023 4:48:35 PM PST by ASOC (This space for rent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: irishjuggler

Also FC Barcelona, would they still play in La Liga?


6 posted on 11/18/2023 4:50:29 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: irishjuggler

people have a right to self-determination! Maybe the Catalonians don’t agree with Spain’s open borders and don’t want their heritage and their people to be drowned out in a see of foreigners. Is that ok? Or do they have to commit suicide because big government says so?


7 posted on 11/18/2023 4:51:22 PM PST by imabadboy99
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: yesthatjallen

I’m actually in Spain at the moment

Majority of Spaniards are horrified how Sanchez made a deal with the separatists and pardoning the same sepratists

:(


8 posted on 11/18/2023 4:59:37 PM PST by forYourChildrenVote4Bush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: forYourChildrenVote4Bush

Any chance the majority will move directly against Sanchez or the security services decide that Sanchez has to go?


9 posted on 11/18/2023 5:22:02 PM PST by Ex-Episcopalian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: forYourChildrenVote4Bush

“Majority of Spaniards”

How do the Catalans feel about it?


10 posted on 11/18/2023 5:44:12 PM PST by MeganC (There is nothing feminine about feminism. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: forYourChildrenVote4Bush

If you think about it...Sanchez is the one pursuing charges on the guilty parties, and he’s the one who desperately needs the support of this one political group....to survive in power.

As for the succession folks? Well...once pardoned, they will go right back to work. Sanchez? I would imagine in two to three years...he’ll bring fresh new charges up...lose his power-angle, and a new election will occur...where he can’t possibly win.

Then he’ll repeat the game once more...chatting over new pardons, if he can get party support.

Things repeat....over and over. I wonder why people lose confidence in leadership.


11 posted on 11/18/2023 11:13:39 PM PST by pepsionice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: pepsionice

Sanchez also made deals with the ETA separatists and a communist party

Also one of the deals was that Catalunya would be able to hold a separatist vote. A vote to see if they separate from Spain

Awful deal

Hope the government falls fast


12 posted on 11/19/2023 2:30:15 AM PST by forYourChildrenVote4Bush
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: yesthatjallen

My knowledge of Spanish politics is somewhere between total ignorance and deep apathy. But, like Quebec separatist, I say, let them go. If they ever want anything from you in the future, F’em.


13 posted on 11/19/2023 3:51:48 AM PST by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson