For Catalonia 2019 see Scotland in a year.

The coverage by the UK media over is disciple , if the repression there was happening in a South American  country we would have daily reports of police violence against protesters and be of no-doubt with whom their sympathy lies.

I accept Brexit is dominating our politicians , but I expect that it actually makes no difference and support for Catalonia and especially their right to self-determination would be largely absent.


The Guardian whilst reporting on last nights Violence  hardly  mentions the thuggy of he police against peaceful demonstrators 

Catalonia suffered a fifth consecutive night of rioting on Friday after violence erupted in Barcelona following a peaceful demonstration attended by more than 500,000 people in protest at the heavy sentences handed down to Catalan politicians and activists.
There were disturbances and police charges on Via Laietana near the headquarters of the Spanish national police during Friday afternoon but, no sooner had the demonstration begun to disperse at 6.30pm than rioting broke out around Plaça Urquinaona in the city centre.
Black smoke rose 10 metres above the city as protesters set fire to rubbish bins and a newspaper kiosk. Thousands gathered in the surrounding streets chanting: “The streets will always be ours!”
Four hours after the first skirmishes, Via Laietana was a battleground strewn with rubble. Police struggled to control the situation, firing rubber bullets, teargas and later in the night, a water cannon was deployed against demonstrators for first time since it was bought from Israel in 1994.
Demonstrators dispersed into the adjoining streets where they set up barricades and fought cat-and-mouse battles with the police. At least 35 people were treated for injuries and there were 10 arrests.
The Spanish government said a group of about 400 protesters was attacking police and warned anyone engaged in similar acts that they faced six-year prison terms.
Authorities announced late on Friday that 207 officers had been injured in the unrest. Nearly 800 bins were set on fire and 107 police vehicles were damaged.
The escalating violence came at the end of a general strike and amid significant disruption caused by the huge and peaceful marches.
According to Barcelona police, about 525,000 people congregated in the city, many of them having marched there from around Catalonia. Earlier, marchers entering Barcelona found themselves pelted with stones as they passed through the working-class neighbourhood of Santa Coloma de Gramenet.
Their presence brought the city to a standstill before a huge demonstration began at 5pm local time. The entrance to the Catalan capital’s most famous landmark – the Sagrada Familia church – was blocked by pro-independence protesters and 57 flights were cancelled at Barcelona-El Prat airport....

 Th Guardian Continea.

.....Peaceful protests, which have long been the hallmark of the pro-independence movement, have been eclipsed this week by violent unrest and running battles between protesters and police.
Friday’s violence surpassed that seen on Thursday, when pro-independence supporters clashed with police and rightwing groups in skirmishes that lasted into the early hours.
After another large demonstration broke up, protesters fought police, throwing stones and at least one petrol bomb in an apparent attempt to reach the seat of the Spanish government in the city. A clothing shop was set on fire and a bank vandalised.

Despite plenty evidence of Police Brutality the only image the Guardian offers  is this

It is reminiscent of the Miners  Strike , where even the liberal press showed only one side of any clashes.

Fortunately those of us who have long given up on the UK media telling us the whole story , there are  social media accounts   (Until the Spanish authorities close  them down ) such as  Help Catalonia who provide us with regular updates on what is actually happening

The images are truly shocking.

Those of us who still back remain must surley be wondering what the European Commission  is going to do about what is happening on their doorstep.

It makes me wonder about my support  for the EU but it is tempered , by the realisation that many of the Brexiters  are probably taking notes and hoping to repeat the what is happening in Catalonia on these Islands in 2020, if the SNP calla n Indyref2

For Catalonia 2019 see Scotland  in a year.