My ex is Spanish and Iāve spent a fair amount of time there. That old Franco thing has never been particularly well concealed in certain sections of Spanish society. Shocking scenes.
A good friend/ex housemate went to vote in the referendum. Sheās told me her brother in law was hurt. Hit a bit is what she said. She sent me a video (not sure who took it) of police brutality. I did not seen a member of public in the video being violent, just standing.
This really doesnāt look good for the Spanish government nor any other governments who do not condemn the police brutality either.
Wtf is going on in this world?
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The British response:
āthe referendum is a matter for Spanish government and people. We want to see Spanish law and the Spanish constitution respected and the rule of law upheldā
what a load of shit. Still, not as bad as the Serbian response
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Not sure if Iām looking on the right news sites but the lack of condemnation of the police violence from our esteemed leaders is deafeningā¦
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The Belgians have ast least condemned the violence.
Do you not think that the EU should intercede to protect its citizens if their national government is ignoring EU treaties and brutalizing these citizens?
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How would the EU intercede? Are you suggesting we need an EU police force or army? Or some sort of trade sanction?
So by that you respect the right and will of the people to have self determination?
A bit like the Brexit vote?
Or is this driven by a selfish one eyed agenda?
Well if, for example, this was happening in a North African country, what do you think they would do?
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The vote was illegal so it wonāt stand but the will of the people should be enough for that to be revised, a law is written in paper not set in stone, they change.
The Gibraltarians will rightly be looking and saying to the World you want us to join this, if Catalonia want to cede I fully support and respect that but it has to be done legally and binding.
It stitches up the libby remainers as well which is always a belter the wet sops.
The will of the people, the EU will always reject separation, but theyād even welcome Catalonia into the EU fold but the Spanish would veto which really would stich things up, nevermind Moroccoās demands for their lands back.
Throw in the Canary Islands as well and Spain are well screwed, maybe thereāll leave Gibraltar alone now, Whitehall must be pissing themselves.
At least weāll have a forward base for when we provide military support to moderate rebels in order to affect regime change in Madrid. 
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I wonder who the liberals would fight for the separatists or the EU Empire?
Such a quandary they find themselves in.
Honestly, this is probably the last response I would consider or expect.
And what do you mean by intercede?
I donāt think Iām being intentionally obtuse here, I honestly donāt know what the EU could do in the hours that followed the violence.
I see it as a trading bloc with laws that can be turned to to right wrongs, Iāve never seen it as a proactive force to police current events.
I think the nation states can and should condemn this. Iām still waiting for ours to do that, BTW.
I imagine that if laws have been broken or rights not extended then Iād expect a long drawn out court case in the EU courts in a year or so.
Itās how the EU rolls.
Iām genuinely surprised that you expect the EU to be able to intercede in the short term.
Iām focussing my anger and frustration on the Spanish state and Her Majestyās British government.
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How about threatening sanctions on Madrid?
They have had no problem putting pressure elsewhere:
"On 29 May 2017, the Council extended EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime until 1 June 2018. This decision is in line with the EU strategy on Syria, which states that the EU will maintain its restrictive measures against the Syrian regime and its supporters as long as the repression of civilians continues.
At the same time the Council added to the list of those under restrictive measures 3 ministers of the Syrian government , and updated the information related to certain persons and entities on the list. It now includes 240 persons and 67 entities targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze over the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria.
The sanctions currently in place against Syria include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank within the EU and export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression, as well as on equipment and technology for monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. "
If the EU can take a stance on violent regimes a continent away why canāt it act swiftly to put its own house in order?
Because its a corrupt shower of shite thats why.
Again, Goat, Iād say that would be a valid response but itās not something I would expect āThe EUā to do in the hours that followed an event and without first taking the temperature with its members.
And āswiftlyā, are you taking the piss?
This is the EU were talking about.
Iām guessing that if the elections were not legal or not constitutional then the EU interfering is going to be tough. If.
If that statement on Syria had happened in the hours after the first event it might have some relevance here. It didnāt.
That Syrian statement would have happened following the multiple condemnations from the different nation states of the EU. Without that I would expect nothing to happen that isnāt directly under the control of EU laws.
IF the members of the EU condemned Spainās disgusting treatment of its own citizens then I would expect pressure to be brought to bearā¦in about 3 months following back channel conversations and briefings.
Without the individual condemnation from the states, nothing will happen.
And by the way, watch us turn a blind eye to a lot of shit post-Brexit in the name of creating and preserving trade relationships.
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All fair enough bletch. In the meantime, while the eu shuffles its cards, I canāt see the situation in Catalonia righting itself.
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What factions / Areas of Spain were fighting the Spanish civil war in 1937?
How do they align with the factions today?