'Sit and Talk' Protest Held in Barcelona Amid Spanish PM's Visit - Photo, Video

A wave of public unrest engulfed the streets of Catalonia, Spain last week after the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan politicians, involved in organising the 2017 independence referendum, to 9-13 years in prison on sedition charges and three others to fines over disobedience.

Several hundred people gathered on Monday for a sitting protest in front of the Spanish government delegation building in Barcelona.

The protesters have brought placards reading "Spain: sit and talk", are singing Bella Ciao and demanding the jailed Catalan politicians be released.

Ara davant la Delegació del Govern.#Tsunamidemocratic #SpainSitAndTalk pic.twitter.com/GaCyjWXpnN

— RePubliquem (@Re_Publiquem) October 21, 2019

#SpainSitAndTalk pic.twitter.com/lT1XQ5eizA

— Isabel Román Martín🌱 (@IsabelRomanm) October 21, 2019

 The rally, which is being held amid Spanish Prime Minister's Pedro Sánchez visit to Barcelona and organised by the TsunamiDemocratic movement is being guarded by the police, while roads near the protest site have been partially blocked.


Pedro Sánchez in Barcelona

Since the beginning of last week, Catalonia has been engulfed in public unrest. Mass demonstrations were sparked by a ruling of the Spanish Supreme Court to sentence nine Catalan politicians, involved in organising the 2017 independence referendum, to 9-13 years in prison on sedition charges and three others to fines for disobedience.

According to the mayor's office, quoted by the news agency Efe, the overall damage caused by the protests has exceeded 2.5 million euros (about $2.8 million).

Agencies