Spain’s government has dismissed calls from Catalonia’s pro-independence regional chief for talks over a wave of violence sparked by the jailing of separatist leaders, as police braced for fresh protests.
Barcelona saw its worst night of disturbances in decades on Friday as masked youths blocked roads with blazing garbage bins and hurled rocks at security forces, who responded by firing repeated rounds of smoke grenades and tear gas.
Catalonia’s president, Quim Torra, said the violence did not reflect the peaceful nature of the traditional Catalan independence movement and asked for discussions with Madrid.
“We urge the acting prime minister of the Spanish government to sit at a negotiating table to talk,” he told reporters. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Torra must first unequivocally condemn the unrest.
“Mr Torra must strongly condemn the violence, which he has not done so far,” Sanchez said in a statement, adding that he also needed to build bridges with the many Catalans who do not want secession. “The government of Spain reiterates that the problem of Catalonia is not independence, which will not occur because it is not legal and nor do the majority of Catalans want it, but rather co-existence,” he said.
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