Lockdown fatigue and fear of far-right catalyse Catalonia protests
Violent street protests have erupted in several Spanish cities following the arrest of a Catalan rap artist who barricaded himself at a university along with dozens of supporters to avoid prison, portraying his case as a fight for free speech.
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This comes after regional elections at the weekend gave a boost to Catalonia's separatist parties.
In Barcelona, several thousand protesters set bins on fire and threw rocks at the police. Several stores and a bank were damaged amid chaotic scenes on one of the city's main streets.
Similar unrest was reported in Girona, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca.
The violence follows a 24-hour stand-off between police and Spanish rapper Pablo Hasél that ended on Tuesday when anti-riot officers arrested the artist and escorted him out of Lleida University.
Protest
He and more than 50 supporters had locked themselves inside the university in Spain’s north-eastern Catalonia region on Monday afternoon.
Hasél was sent to prison, where he is set to serve a nine-month sentence for insulting the monarchy and glorifying terrorism.
⏯️ #VÍDEO | Més de 2.000 persones surten als carrers de #Lleida per exigir la llibertat de Pablo Hasel
— LLEIDA.COM (@lleidacom) February 17, 2021
‼️ La protesta va acabar amb greus aldarulls, assistències mèdiques, detinguts, agents @mossos i @gUrbanaLleida ferits, múltiples destrosses i incendishttps://t.co/4uZIKaKrFE
RFI's David Coffey spoke to Girona resident Martí Adroher, who has a background in law and political science and a Masters degree in international relations.
He said the pressure of Covid-19 as well as the implementation of anti-coronavirus measures in Catalonia have exacerbated the reaction to Hasél's arrest.
"It's not only because of the Catalan [independence] issue. There is a certain perception and this has been increased by the lockdown and anti-Covid measures.
"In terms of civil liberties and rights, [the perception] is that the Spanish state is going backwards."
Hasél, an artist who has aligned himself with the far-left movements in Spain, is known for his songs against the monarchy and corruption. He says he considers Spain a fascist state.
Such criticism of the country's royal institutions led to his arrest on Tuesday under lese-majesty legislation that can be asserted under Spanish law.
However, according to Adroher, despite Hasél's opinions on the monarchy and Catalan independence, his incarceration is not justifiable under the criminal code and Spanish law. "I think this perception of going backwards in terms of civil rights and liberties is a very sensitive issue nowadays in Spain," he added.
Catalonia Protests - Arrest Of Pablo Hasél - Martí Adroher
Hasél has drawn increasing attention across the country, with many members of the public, artists, celebrities and politicians showing their support and demanding a change in the country's so-called "Gag Law."
More than 200 artists, including film director Pedro Almodóvar and actor Javier Bardem, signed a petition last week in support of the rapper.
Amnesty International has noted that Hasél's case is just the latest in a string of trials of artists and social media personalities under the 2015 Public Security Law introduced by a conservative government.
Catalan independence back on the agenda
Tuesday's unrest follows an inconclusive regional election which saw the pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia tied with the Socialists in seats, with both set to send 33 lawmakers each to the regional legislature.
However, the electoral tie still means the three main parties that want to create a Catalan state have expanded their overall strength to 74 lawmakers in the 135-seat Barcelona-based parliament.
Now the pro-independence groups have the potential to create a majority coalition in the regional government, could that force the hand of Pedro Sanchez’s coalition government to allow for a referendum on Catalonia's future relationship with Spain?
"I don't think so," said Adroher, who has also worked with the European Commission. "First of all, the pro-independence parties won a majority of the popular vote by about 51 percent and that reveals the strength of the pro-independence movement.
"Polls say that around 70 percent of the population in Catalonia is in favour of a self-determination referendum, which would not automatically mean or imply independence.
"So the break-up from Spain would be one of the options. Is this going to move the Spanish government [towards a referendum]? Frankly, I don't think so. The Spanish government is in a very fragile position."
Catalonia Elections - Will Madrid Allow A Referendum On Independence? - Martí Adroher
Containing the rise of the Right
Even the Republican Left of Catalonia, who have been pushing for independence want to see Sanchez's left wing government succeeding. This is due to the rising power of the right wing opposition in the country, and the hard-right Vox party which claimed 11 seats in last weekend's regional polls.
But also, according to Adroher, it is because of the left wing's relationship with the Spanish judiciary, accompanied by a very tense relationship with Royal House, which makes the Spanish political system visibly unstable.
Only last week, Spain’s government unexpectedly announced that it would change the country’s criminal code to eliminate prison terms for offenses involving freedom of expression.
Although it did not specifically mention Hasél or set a timetable for the changes, the eleventh-hour proposal to change the criminal code is being rejected by the conservative and far-right opposition.
Full Interview - Catalan Protests, Regional Elections & Separatism in 2021 - Martí Adroher
Martí Adroher is the regional director of a tech company based in Girona, Spain. He holds a degree in law and political science and a Masters degree in international relations. He has worked with the EU Commission in Brussels.
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