Spain: Clashes reported in Barcelona October 15 as thousands protest jailing of separatists

Event

Some demonstrators clashed with police in Barcelona on Tuesday, October 15, as thousands protested the detainment of nine Catalan separatists. Some protesters threw objects at police, burned cardboard and trash, and obstructed traffic and a train station in Catalonia region. Police, for their part, dispersed demonstrators obstructing transportation and other areas, including with the use of batons.

Additional protests are scheduled in Catalonia region over the coming days. Students are slated to hold a 72-hour strike starting on Wednesday, October 16, including protests on Thursday, October 17, starting at 12:00 (local time) in Barcelona at Plaça de la Universitat, Tarragona at Plaça de la Imperial Tàrraco, and in Girona at Plaça del 1 de Octubre. Another protest is scheduled on Friday, October 18, at Barcelona's Plaça de la Universitat as of 12:00. On Friday, the Intersindical-CSC and the Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya (IAC) unions have scheduled a protest at the Supreme Tribunal of Barcelona; the time of the planned protest was not immediately announced.

A heightened security presence and lingering transportation disruptions are to be expected over the coming hours in Barcelona; associated demonstrations throughout the region may result in disruptions to transportation and business over the coming days.

Context

Protests have been ongoing since October 1, to mark the two-year anniversary of a failed independence referendum scheduled in Catalonia in 2017. Several Catalan activists were put on trial for their involvement in the referendum, which Madrid deemed illegal. On October 14, the Supreme Court sentenced nine of them to between nine and 13 years in prison, prompting mass protests in Barcelona and other cities across Catalonia.

Advice

Individuals in Catalonia are advised to monitor developments, avoid all protests as a precaution, and adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.