Spain’s PM under pressure as Catalan separatists copy Hong Kong protest tactics
- Barcelona and other Catalan cities have been rocked by seven successive nights of protests since Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced nine separatist leaders to jail
- Catalan separatists are openly copy tactics devised by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong
Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faced sharp criticism Sunday for his handling of violent Catalan separatist protests, where demonstrators have adopted tactics devised by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
Hundreds of people packed a square in front of Catalonia’s regional government headquarters in Barcelona for a rally by the centre-right, pro-union Ciudadanos party.
They called on the government in Madrid to restore order in Catalonia and defend the rights of Catalans opposed to independence. Many waved Spanish, Catalan and European Union flags and chanted “Viva Espana!”.
Addressing supporters, Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera accused Spain’s caretaker Socialist government of not doing enough to stop the chaos in Barcelona, one of Europe’s tourist hotspots.
“People can’t take their children to school, they can’t open their businesses,” Barcelona-born Rivera said.
“We need a Spanish government that protects the weak.”