“Prison for Puigdemont,” shouted thousands of people in central Madrid, gathered under a giant Spanish flag Saturday in anger at Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence under secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont. As music blared from giant speakers, from British band Coldplay to Spanish singer Manolo Escobar’s “Y viva Espana” (“And long live Spain” in Spanish), pro-unity protesters banded together on the square. “It is a disgrace what happened in Catalonia, and it’s a disgrace what happened after,” said Carlos Fernandez, a 41-year-old mining engineer. “Today, we have all come to demonstrate our unity, to proclaim that we will get Catalonia back,” one presenter told the crowd. Near the square, a large banner proclaiming: “Spain doesn’t surrender” hung from a building occupied by the far-right, xenophobic group Hogar Social.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 28, 2017 13:07 UTC