Germany: Catalan demonstration in Berlin April 1

Event

The pro-separatist Catalan National Assembly (ANC) is planning to hold a demonstration in Berlin on Sunday, April 1. Protesters will gather at the Brandenburg Gate at 12:00 (local time) to call for the released of former Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont. Localized traffic disruptions are anticipated around the demonstration.

Context

On March 25, Puigdemont was detained under a European arrest warrant on charges of sedition and rebellion after crossing the border from Denmark into the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. He is currently in custody awaiting a German court decision on his extradition to Spain.

Spain was thrown into a constitutional and political crisis after Catalonia held an independence referendum, deemed illegal by the Spanish government and marred with violence, on October 1, 2017. Despite a series of logistical and judicial obstacles enacted by the central government to prevent the vote, 42 percent of the Catalan population participated in the referendum, 90 percent of whom voted in favor of independence. Madrid officially suspended the region's autonomy on October 27 - just moments after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence - and implemented direct central rule.

Advice

Individuals in Berlin are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution and allow additional time to travel.