Catalan separatist protests to continue as elections loom

Pro-Catalan independence activists will again take to the streets of the regional capital of Barcelona today.

Unrest was reignited last week by the Spanish Supreme Court’s decision to sentence nine Catalan independence leaders to between nine and thirteen years in prison on sedition charges. Over the past five days, clashes between police and protesters have intensified, leaving some 170 injured.

General elections in Spain are due on November 10, and politicians are likely to stoke regional divisions to rally support for their respective parties. Indeed, left-wing parties like the ERC-Sobirenistes have encouraged protests for independence in the Catalonia, Valencia and Balearics regions.

Meanwhile, right-wing parties are promoting a united Spain. Vox, a controversial far-right party that first entered Spain’s parliament in April, will today hold a rally in Madrid to ‘celebrate constitutional order and national coexistence’. Such regionalism could serve to roil protesters, but remains unlikely to significantly alter electoral outcomes.

Catalonia accounts for 19% of Spanish GDP and its capital is a major tourist destination. However, the Spanish government is unlikely to concede to any demands for Catalan independence. Without concessions, it is possible that social unrest will morph into sporadic violent clashes between the police and protesters in the coming weeks.

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