Catalan separatism, and the weeks of protests that erupted in the regional capital Barcelona following the sentencing of nine independence leaders to jail mid-October, have been thrust into the spotlight again as Spain gears up for its fourth election in four years. Authorities have been bracing for pro-independence protests on the eve of the vote that could potentially turn violent, government and Socialist party sources had told Reuters last week. "Logically, we have deployed a significant number of state security forces to ensure normality on a day in which citizens and their vote must be the protagonists," Sanchez told public broadcaster RNE. The main candidates in the election clashed over how to handle Catalan separatism in a TV debate on Monday. Independence is highly divisive in Catalonia, with a poll in July showing 44% backing secession and 48.3% against it.

Source: bd News24 November 06, 2019 09:53 UTC