Catalonia

[fish]

I've been saddened watching TV news broadcasts of the protests in Catalonia.
I confess that I don't know the full history behind the current events, other than they link to the pro-independence movement and the arrest of a number of politicians and activists.
Like all similar disputes worldwide I hope for a peaceful resolution, but with the weight of feeling on both sides I fear that may not be the case.

I wish you all the best for your cause Santi and I hope that somehow you get the outcomes you want without the violence that threatens.

[Ian]

Stay safe, Santi.

[Santi]

Thanks for your words, my friends.

The youngest are discouraged and think that decades of pacifist movements have done nothing.

Request permits for a pacifist protest in which the concealed police goes to make bad things. You are arrested like a terrorist, that means no right and in prison and after 6 months you will be released and you have nothing left of your life.

- A theather for freedom = terrorists (6 months).
- A joke to the flag = terrorist
- Pite a Spanish dictator, terrorism.
- A fight between a separatist and Spanish person, do you know who goes to jail?
And here tortures exist. And lot things more.

All this has happened since I was born.

Our president and some of his directors are exiled to Europe, who does nothing.
Many people live free outside of Spain because into spain they are "terrorists".

I am a pacifist, but I understand young people.

Catalonia is the richest and strongest part of Spain, but it is the one that invests less money. They mistreat us in everything, they despise us on television. Censorship of information. And a lot things more...

I've never said anything to you because each country has their problems.

[fish]

...each country has their problems.

That's very true.
On our own doorstep East Timor is suffering from the actions of thieving Australian oil industry players and the complicit Australian government.
Just look up the "Timor Gap".



The Catalan issues seem to date back at least to the time of the Franco regime and are only getting worse.
I'm left scratching my head in bewilderment at the scale of the issues and I need to find reliable independent sources for more information.

Apart from the obvious (independence), which is unlikely to be achieved in the short term, is there anyone providing sane leadership in Spain as well as Catalonia to outline a pathway to satisfy both?
Are there any external leaders trying to help?
Is Europe officially doing anything?

[Santi]

Europe does not want problems. All of our leaders are in jail or in exile, voting is useless.

Europe does not help us, but her laws are mandatory for themselves who find themselves in front of the world.

All the media, Spanish and independent deceive us, politicians too.

This is a movement of people on the street.
If you want information here (they pushed people and forced our politycians to begin): is in english

https://assemblea.cat/?lang=en

https://www.omnium.cat/en/

Now our leaders hide behind foreign websites or applications like "Telegram", there are no faces to avoid going to jail.

[Santi]

.... because each country has their problems.

What happenning now in Australia?

[fish]

...What happenning now in Australia?..

The government is trying to introduce harsh anti whistleblower laws in an attempt to restrict free speech.
One of the government security agencies recently raided a newspaper and a couple of journalists' files with a view to laying charges.

This is the newspapers fighting back. (even the rabid right wing ones.)




Thanks for those links Santi.
Some very interesting matters discussed on the sites but I fear it will take me quite a long time to understand all that's happened.
Nevertheless I'm very interested and will persevere.
I may ask you to explain a few things from time to time.

[Santi]

I saw a Hong Kong documentary yesterday and what happens there is the same thing that happens to us.
Catalans and people of Hong Kong have created a link.

[fish]

...Catalans and people of Hong Kong have created a link.

Many similarities in the pro independence movements.

The more I read of the Catalan's struggle the more convinced I am that there would be a lot of support from similar movements around the world.