CATALONIA INDEPENDENCE: Spain softens stance, apologises to injured protesters

A conciliatory gesture has been made by Spanish government’s representative in Catalonia apologising for violent police crackdown on protesters during Catalonia’s independence referendum staged on Sunday.

Spain specifically apologised to demonstrators who were injured during police efforts to stop Sunday’s independence referendum as both sides looked for a way out of the nation’s worst political crisis since it became a democracy four decades ago.

“When I see these images and more so when I know people have been hit, pushed and even one person who was hospitalised, I can’t help but regret it and apologise on behalf of the officers that intervened,” Enric Millo said in a television interview.

Read also: Spanish court blocks move by Catalonia’s parliament to declare independence

Hours ago, Spain’s Constitutional Court blocked a proposed move by Catalonia parliament in which regional leaders were expected to unilaterally declare independence next Monday after holding a banned referendum.

On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ruled to block the parliamentary meeting called for Monday while it considers an appeal made against it, according to a spokesperson.

Meanwhile the government in Madrid has issued a decree making it easier for companies to move their headquarters away from Catalonia.

A Catalan minister told the BBC his government would go ahead with an independence debate in parliament.

 

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