An independence referendum entered into chaos this Sunday when police blocked the entrance to a school that was being used as a polling station for the Catalan independence referendum. Police and citizens turned extremely violent in order to seize ballot boxes to stop them from voting(with more than 750 civilians injured and at least a dozen soanish police officers hurt as well). The prime minister of Mariano Rajoy had addressed the people that same day and had this to say “Today, the Spanish state has lost a lot more than it had already lost, and Catalan citizens have won a lot more than they had won until now." Many citizens and pro-referendum supporters were camping and staying at different polling stations in order to ensure they would not close and were people at the front lines of the riots.
Many pro-referendum supporters had even begun protests including one that blocked a gate to one of the polling stations that the police were trying to seize. This referendum was something that many of the Catalan citizens were anticipating especially since their dictatorship had ended with the death of dictator Gen.Francisco Franco in 1975 and they were ready to start anew. This had an impact on other parts of Barcelona the well adored soccer team (F.C Barcelona) had to play a game behind closed doors because of this incident. Many different citizens like Mario Pulpillo (age 54) agree with the referendum and said "Spain has shown us today its ugliest and darkest face, that which we really thought had disappeared 40 years ago, You simply can’t use violence against people who just want to vote.” Despite all the commotion and chaos there was still an impactful turnout of people who still had hope that they could make catalonia a place that everyone can be free to make their own decisions. On this day Catalonia was changed forever but is it for the better or worse?
can't really make that decision ifCatalonia was changed for the worst because it will tell over time, but I do agree that Catalonia has changed because by reading this article it sounds like the citizens where accepting what was going on, and it also shows how the people felt they where moving backwards to the times of 1975 and they felt that if the government cannot see how they are moving backwards the people step in to speak up about how they feel, do you feel that citizen of different countries should follow a idea of this event, and does the citizens of the united states did something like this before
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that people who want to vote for things they want after they left dictatorship have to face such resistance. For more than 750 civilians and officers to get injured just because the citizens weren't allowed to vote is unnecessary. If Spain wasn't willing to let the civilians vote there are better ways to go about that, but now the trust between Catalonia civilians and Spain are now strained. Maybe in the future Spain may listen to those who want change and be able to work something out with them, so that extreme actions wouldn't be taken.
ReplyDelete