Bloody scenes in Plaça de Catalunya

Source: You Tube (Jordi Salvia) Key Words: Indignats Desallotjament Plaça Catalunya


Spanish police clash with protesters over clean-up 

Violence breaks out around Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya, the first trouble after 12 days of protests

Riot police clashed for the first time on Friday with protesters who have camped out in Spanish squares for the past 12 days after authorities dismantled a camp in the centre of Barcelona. 

Police and clean-up trucks moved into the Plaça de Catalunya, with about 200 protesters being corralled peacefully in the centre of the square. 

Protesters were told they were not being evicted and would be allowed back, but municipal workers took away tents, mattresses, tarpaulins, computers and materials used to build the camp. 

Trouble erupted when thousands of supporters arrived and blocked access roads. Police cleared routes out of the square by using batons, reportedly injuring 99 people and arresting two. 

Video footage filmed in the square shows bloodied demonstrators being beaten by police. Protesters said police also used pepper spray and rubber bullets. 

The Catalan regional government said it ordered police into the square only so it could be cleaned. 

Authorities were reportedly concerned that the camp might be a focus for violence on Saturday night when crowds of people are expected to take to Barcelona's streets if the city's football team wins the Champions League final against Manchester United. 

Demonstrators were allowed into the square after the clean-up and immediately started to rebuild the camp. A peaceful demonstration against the police action has been called for this evening in Barcelona, Madrid and dozens more cities where protesters are camped out in squares. 

The clean-up came after authorities came under increased pressure from shop owners and local officials to remove the camps throughout Spain, but protesters said they would stay in place until Sunday at the earliest.
 

Vocabulary:

chocar -

una bala de goma -

imágenes -

desalojar -

multitudes -

una manifestación -

estallar -

un camion -

un colchón -

pegar -

ensangrentado -

una lona -

quitar -            /

en todas partes -

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Graham !!

I´m Felix.

The other day, I listened that football is the opium of the citizens. It´s increible that people make this kind of things celebrating something good.

See you
Anonymous said…
Hi Graham,

done this one and that of the lyon.

See you later,
Ángel
Graham said…
Hi Felix,

I hope that you will continue with the blog even though it seems Monday really was our last class.


I HEARD that football is the opium of the citizens. It´s INCREDIBLE that people DO this kind of THING celebrating something good.


I didn't hear what happened after the match. Was there any trouble? Did they congregate in the Plaça as is customary after a win?

These bloody scenes in the video only involved the police and the "indignats"
Graham said…
Hi Ángel,

Try to do any work on the blog more than half an hour before coming to class! lol