Further Catalan protests erupted today after a night of furious clashes with riot police over the conviction of separatist leaders.Authorities said that three people were arrested and more than 170 others injured, including 40 police officers, during clashes that continued into the early hours of the morning at Barcelona's airport and elsewhere across the northeastern Spanish region.Blockades were reinstated on regional roads and railway lines on Tuesday, while at the European Union headquarters in Brussels demonstrators also took to the streets. Spain's airport operator, Aena, said that more than 1,000 flights were scheduled to operate normally in Barcelona, with six flights cancelled compared to 110 on Monday.Scroll down for video. People, waving Estelada pro Catalonia independence flags, march during a protest in Brussels on Tuesday Protesters clash with Spanish riot policemen outside El Prat airport in Barcelona on MondayLast night thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport, with many forced to walk with their luggage on roads and across fields.The protesters were responding to an online campaign by Tsunami Democratic, a loose, leaderless grassroots group that uses encrypted messaging apps to call for peaceful disobedience.Spain's caretaker interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said that authorities were investigating the group.In a landmark ruling on Monday, Spain's Supreme Court acquitted the Catalan politicians and activists from the more serious crime of rebellion for pushing ahead with a banned referendum on October 1 2017, and declaring independence based on its results.But judges found nine of them guilty of sedition and handed down prison terms of nine to 13 years.Four of them were additionally convicted of misuse of public funds and three were fined for disobedience.The court also barred all of them from holding public office. Riot police carry their shields as the units walk past a barricade on fire during a demonstration at El Prat airport as clashes erupted on Monday evening RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Protesters battle police as tens of thousands take to... Catalan freedom supporters hold torchlight demonstration to... Share this article Share Ousted former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont takes part in a protest with Catalan supporters in Brussels That has an immediate impact in the upcoming November 10 election because six of them were planning to run as candidates to Spain's parliament.The verdict is likely to be a central issue before the vote and politics for years to come, with very different views in Madrid and Catalonia already emerging hours after it was issued.While Spain's caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called for beginning a 'new phase' and urged Catalan separatists to abide by the law, the ruling invigorated the Catalan independence movement, with many of its leaders making new calls to work toward effective secession or repeating the slogan 'we will do it again'.'W
Catalan protests enter second day after night of violence in Barcelona
Further Catalan protests erupted today after a night of furious clashes with riot police over the conviction of separatist leaders.Authorities said that three people were arrested and more than 170 others injured, including 40 police officers, during clashes that continued into the early hours of the morning at Barcelona's airport and elsewhere across the northeastern Spanish region.Blockades were reinstated on regional roads and railway lines on Tuesday, while at the European Union headquarters in Brussels demonstrators also took to the streets. Spain's airport operator, Aena, said that more than 1,000 flights were scheduled to operate normally in Barcelona, with six flights cancelled compared to 110 on Monday.Scroll down for video. People, waving Estelada pro Catalonia independence flags, march during a protest in Brussels on Tuesday Protesters clash with Spanish riot policemen outside El Prat airport in Barcelona on MondayLast night thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport, with many forced to walk with their luggage on roads and across fields.The protesters were responding to an online campaign by Tsunami Democratic, a loose, leaderless grassroots group that uses encrypted messaging apps to call for peaceful disobedience.Spain's caretaker interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said that authorities were investigating the group.In a landmark ruling on Monday, Spain's Supreme Court acquitted the Catalan politicians and activists from the more serious crime of rebellion for pushing ahead with a banned referendum on October 1 2017, and declaring independence based on its results.But judges found nine of them guilty of sedition and handed down prison terms of nine to 13 years.Four of them were additionally convicted of misuse of public funds and three were fined for disobedience.The court also barred all of them from holding public office. Riot police carry their shields as the units walk past a barricade on fire during a demonstration at El Prat airport as clashes erupted on Monday evening RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Protesters battle police as tens of thousands take to... Catalan freedom supporters hold torchlight demonstration to... Share this article Share Ousted former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont takes part in a protest with Catalan supporters in Brussels That has an immediate impact in the upcoming November 10 election because six of them were planning to run as candidates to Spain's parliament.The verdict is likely to be a central issue before the vote and politics for years to come, with very different views in Madrid and Catalonia already emerging hours after it was issued.While Spain's caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called for beginning a 'new phase' and urged Catalan separatists to abide by the law, the ruling invigorated the Catalan independence movement, with many of its leaders making new calls to work toward effective secession or repeating the slogan 'we will do it again'.'W
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