AP, Barcelona :
Protesters angry about Spain’s Cabinet holding a meeting in Catalonia blocked a major highway and dozens of roads in the region, disrupting traffic to and from its capital.
Pro-independence supporters called the protests to show their disgust at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s decision to lead his weekly Cabinet meeting in Barcelona.
The Catalan regional government, led by a coalition of pro-secession parties, is also supporting the protests despite an agreement with central authorities to work on a solution to the political crisis that has festered since Catalonia’s failed secession attempt last year.
After their second meeting since both took power earlier this year, Sanchez and Catalonia’s president, Quim Torra, issued a joint statement on Thursday calling for dialogue to settle the conflict over the future of the northeastern region.
“Despite the notable differences about its origin, nature and ways of resolution,” the statement said, both governments “share the commitment for effective dialogue that is linked to a political proposal that has the backing of a large part of Catalan society.”
There were moments of tension early Friday when regional Mossos d’Esquadra officers used batons to disperse protesters and open a major road near Barcelona’s port.Sanchez, who has been harshly criticized by the right-wing opposition for his meeting with Torra, wants to send the signal that the Spanish government should be able to hold its Cabinet meeting in anywhere in Spain.
He has also presented the visit as “a way of showing affection to Catalonia.” But many separatists see it as a provocation, coming a year after a snap regional election called as a way out of last year’s independence attempt.
The government will use the cabinet meeting which will get underway at 10 am (0900 GMT) to approve a 22 percent increase in the minimum wage, a pay hike for public workers and announce investments in infrastructure projects in Catalonia, which is home to some 7.5 million people and has its own language.
But the timing of the meeting – a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in the region after blocking its move for independence – has been called “a provocation” by separatist leaders.
Protesters angry about Spain’s Cabinet holding a meeting in Catalonia blocked a major highway and dozens of roads in the region, disrupting traffic to and from its capital.
Pro-independence supporters called the protests to show their disgust at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s decision to lead his weekly Cabinet meeting in Barcelona.
The Catalan regional government, led by a coalition of pro-secession parties, is also supporting the protests despite an agreement with central authorities to work on a solution to the political crisis that has festered since Catalonia’s failed secession attempt last year.
After their second meeting since both took power earlier this year, Sanchez and Catalonia’s president, Quim Torra, issued a joint statement on Thursday calling for dialogue to settle the conflict over the future of the northeastern region.
“Despite the notable differences about its origin, nature and ways of resolution,” the statement said, both governments “share the commitment for effective dialogue that is linked to a political proposal that has the backing of a large part of Catalan society.”
There were moments of tension early Friday when regional Mossos d’Esquadra officers used batons to disperse protesters and open a major road near Barcelona’s port.Sanchez, who has been harshly criticized by the right-wing opposition for his meeting with Torra, wants to send the signal that the Spanish government should be able to hold its Cabinet meeting in anywhere in Spain.
He has also presented the visit as “a way of showing affection to Catalonia.” But many separatists see it as a provocation, coming a year after a snap regional election called as a way out of last year’s independence attempt.
The government will use the cabinet meeting which will get underway at 10 am (0900 GMT) to approve a 22 percent increase in the minimum wage, a pay hike for public workers and announce investments in infrastructure projects in Catalonia, which is home to some 7.5 million people and has its own language.
But the timing of the meeting – a year to the day after Madrid held snap elections in the region after blocking its move for independence – has been called “a provocation” by separatist leaders.
