Spain: PM Pedro Sanchez under pressure to contain Catalan protests

As the Spanish general elections are due next month, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez is under pressure to take legitimate actions against the violent Catalan protests. PM Sanchez has faced heavy criticism on October 20 for his handling of the demonstrations even though the calm returned to Barcelona along with other cities overnight. The Center-right Ciudadanos party organised a party in front of Catalonia's regional government headquarters in Barcelona and chanted slogans, “That's enough justice and coexistence”. While the Spanish government believes that in order to eradicate the problem of public order in Catalonia, the action shall be taken specifically to the violence.

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Spain's worst political crisis

Protesters blocked roads, vandalised street signs, damaged shops, and fought with the police forces near the National Police building in the Catalan city of Barcelona. The unrest witnessed an escalation in violence as people threw bottles and pelted stones at the police forces as the police tried to contain the situation by using rubber bullets and tear gas. This all started when demonstrations erupted over arrests of Catalonian leaders in Barcelona. The Catalan autonomy crisis flared up on October 15 as police and protesters were engaged in a violent encounter. The clashes also took place at an airport in the Spanish city of Barcelona. This came after the Spanish Supreme Court imprisoned nine Catalan separatist leaders over their failed efforts for succession in 2017. 

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Angered separatist camp

After the failure of Catalan regional president Quim Torra to deliver the promise of independence, the separatist camp is frustrated. Reportedly, on the wall of a luxury watch shop, someone had scrawled “Torra, Traitor”. A radical separatist movement, the committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) took on Twitter to say that they have embarked on a road of no return. While Catalonia's vice president Pere Aragones has urged the protesters to avoid violence, the recent violent demonstrations marked a break from the earlier peaceful rallies. Moreover, the conservative parties of Spain have marked Sanchez as a traitor for agreeing to back the Catalan separatist parties which will also help him secure the power in 2018. 

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(With input from agencies)