Watch carefully and I’ll explain what this tool is for.Ben Arthur.Cheetahs.Northern Lights in Iceland.When he said ‘come and help with the sheep’, he never told me that there were so many… or that they were so big. Help!!!Edinburgh.Mum and baby Zebra.Mandarin Wood DucksWe build bridges. Skye.Hamish, one of The Roaming Junketeers (probably the boss man).I’ve no idea where (anyone?) but it’s pretty.Solved the parking problem here. Don’t have any cars. Glasgow… 19??Irish coastline, starring a beautiful Herring Gull.Cheetah.Paddy fields.Eigg.Amazing colours…Hamish builds bridges too. In Mexico.
Have a peaceful Sunday, y’all.
And we mustn’t forget our friends in Catalonia today:
Hey, Hamish on the Colombia River in Oregon. Thank you for adding him. That’s a huskie in the background and not a wolf, lol…. thankfully. Awesome pictures as always. Love the one of Catalonia. Good luck to them all tomorrow, hopefully there will be no violence.
He’s as cute as a button, as they say… My favourite of him is on the bridge in Mexico.
Hear hear to your sentiments for Catalonia. These are people with such spirit. Our hopes and wishes are with them for a successful and peaceful outcome.
Thank you, thank you for the lovely cheetahs – such cute kitties. I do like a zebra too. And who knew they had West Highland terriers in Mexico. The ducks are very eye catching – until the request for them I’d never heard of them.
And of course good luck Catalonia. You’re in my thoughts.
It’s blast-furnace slag turned into a foam with water or compressed air. Because of wartime shortages of traditional building materials it was used in construction as a (cheap) substitute. Blast-furnace slag goes into the making of foamed concrete still in various places – the foamed stuff is lighter for the volume, of course, like an Aero compared to a Yorkie.
The Edinburgh photo; see the spire in the top right hand corner? The second window down from that used to be my office window. I feel quite melancholic now…
According to The Glasgow Story, the photograph is of the Gleddoch Road/Craigmuir Road junction in 1942. Apparently Penilee was one of the few housing schemes built during the Second World War.
On a more serious note, seeing the level of force the Spanish Government is using to try to deprive the people of Catalonia of their right to vote in their independence referendum, I am concerned that this could result in open conflict, and lead to casualties on both sides.
That’s http://www.catalannews.com/ (in English). The Catalan-language site of the Agència Catalana de Noticias, http://www.acn.cat, who provide that one, appears to have been blocked – I am getting the error message “403: Access Forbidden / Your location (RU) has been blacklisted.” It is giving the same message using my own ISP here in the UK (Plusnet), and regardless of what location I select around the world through my VPN provider Private Internet Access (PIA). I recommend PIA, by the way – it works very well and at a reasonable cost when you’ve finally got it set up properly.
I would like other readers to try accessing that site too from their locations; I think you’ll agree that blocking news websites is a serious business, and really ought to have our journos up in arms – even the Kuensbergs and Robinsons of this world. And even the Daisleys and the Torrances. Though probably not La McFadyen.
Ed….You asked about other readers’ access to the link(s) you provided. Here in the states, the English language site works fine. The Catalan language site also seems OK, but wants a sign-in. No “403 Access Forbidden” here.
Thanks. I hope it’s not just me that’s having the problem. I wonder if its calculation or technology that determines where access to the site is blocked.
Works fine on Sky. Its probably just Plusnet being useless (as normal) again – in this cas (at a guess) caching the dns lookup for longer than they should.
OK, people – thanks already, Conan – please do keep looking. Meantime I have bcc-d the following to as many people as I could (a) think of who might be interested, and (b) some journos and politicos. I will be interested to see what if anything Ruth Davidson and Kezia Dugdale have to say in reply, though I doubt they’ll see it today. Well, that goes for just about everyone, I suppose.
“Catalan news blackout
Dear News Editor and others,
Although the news from the (official) Agència Catalana de Notícies is still available through their English-language website http://www.catalannews.com, their original Catalan-language site, http://www.acn.cat, appears to have been blocked. I am receiving the error message “403: Access Forbidden / Your location (RU) has been blacklisted”.
I get the same message that my location (RU – which I interpret as meaning Russia) has been blacklisted regardless of whether I use my own ISP directly, or connect through any of the VPN locations that I select around the world.
Blocking news sites is completely unacceptable in a modern European democracy, or indeed anywhere. I trust you will give this piece of information about the block all the attention it deserves.
I am circulating this e-mail to my friends in countries other than Scotland to check that the information is true, and to get the message out.
Sincerely,” … etc.
I can’t think of anything else I can do.
Tris, today more than ever, your life-enhancing orangutans were necessary to my soul. Thank you.
Kez has condemned the violence. Much of her party seem to have followed the lead of Corbyn and said nothing. The arch Tory in Labour Tom Harris has said that nationalists will be nationalists. He would, of course, as he is only recognisable by the soles of his shoes hanging from the Barclay arses. Odious little creep.
Ahem. Thanks to Vestas – it was a DNS problem, but not Plusnet’s. I am now officially embarrassed. I propose to handle this by pretending it never happened, and console myself with the thought that the more hits that the Agència Catalana de Notícies gets, the better.
I note that Barça have yet to decide whether to cancel their match with Las Palmas later.
They could have allowed the referendum. They could have compromised.
They could even have said, after it was over that it was illegal and could not be done under the constitution.
But instead they have behaved like thugs to young and old. What might have been repairable has now become irreparable.
People who were beaten by thug Spanish policemen will never be Spanish. They will never accept Spain or Spain’s king, who is allowing this to happen. Remember he has real power.
I hope no Scot ever goes to Spain on holiday again. Catalonia yes, Spain, never.
Tris, the Penilee 1942 pic got me thinking (or as near as I ever get to thinking).
Glasgow, 1942 – a street corner, beside a phone box. Three neighbours, Mrs. Bella McKinstry, Mrs.Isa Chisholm and Mrs. Jeanie O’Leary are chatting –
Mrs. McKinstry: “Look at that. Ower the road there. Oot wi the wean in a pram, bold as brass. She says the fella’s goanny merry her when he gets oot o the army. Aye, right, eh?
(Calls out) “Oh hullo, Frances! How ur ye keepin’, hen? Is the wee ane daein’ a’ right?”
Mrs. O’Leary: “She’s nae better than she should be that ane. Bluidy disgrace!”
Mrs. McKinstry: “Ach, her mother was jist the same. Whit wid ye expect fae the daughter?”
Mrs. Chisholm (shouting)” “Senga! Senga Chisholm, is that you playin’ oan yir big brother’s bike? If he catches ye, he’ll rattle yir ear, so he wull!
(To the others) “See that lassie, she’s got ma hert roastit, so she his. She should’ve been a boay.”
Mrs. McKinstry: “Good Goad, is that the time? Ma man’s shift’ll be nearly finished an‘ Ah’’ve nuthin in fur the tea. Ah better get movin’ See yeze later.”
I need to take a break now, people, and irreligious as I am, I confess I’m doing a spot of praying. This behaviour by the Rajoy regime is just heartbreaking. Also, it’s not just deplorable, it’s utterly boneheaded and counterproductive.
I don’t think indyref2 is going to pass now if its got anything about being a member of the EU.
Spain is supposedly democratic (it isn’t but nor is the UK) and as soon as push comes to shove all the Falangists come out of the closet & do what they always do – attack Catalonia. The thin veneer of “democracy” is replaced by their true fascist instincts.
Now take a look east – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia are all pretty much openly fascist now. The rest of the “Visegrad” entrants aren’t much better.
I don’t want to be in a union with these people. They belong 50+ years in the past & I don’t see why we should have to haul them kicking and screaming into the 21st century when half of them belong in the 19th!
Have to admit that I’ve always thought that Scotland had more in common with Iceland, Norway, and the other Scandinavian countries in the EU, along with Ireland and the IoM, and maybe the Netherlands.
I’d always have been reasonably happy to be in EFTA.
The fact that the top table is in Brussels and Edinburgh woudn’t be at it wouldn’t
matter too much to us. We’ve never had a seat there anyway.
The EU is still our best hope, in my view, but it is, of course, not perfect. I thought that the collective arse deserved a good kicking over Greece, and if they let Spain get away with this outrage and do no recognize Catalunya when it declares independence – or at least do recognize it, but with the Spanish imposing a veto – my confidence will have been severely undermined. However, there’s a possibility – think UKIP – that they are keeping quiet about the Spanish Government’s behaviour because to condemn it would only excite even more of the anti-foreigner attitudes among the Franquistas in the Partido Popular. It would be seen as Interference in Domestic Affairs, and their obnoxious attitudes would mean that they would take an even harder line. Also, there’s the might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb aspect to it.
Poland has been in breach of membership rules for nearly 2 years – their “Truth & Justice” party hires & fires ALL of the judiciary now so there is no rule of law. Nothing happened, nothing will.
If the EU doesn’t suspend Spain then its not a union I want to be in. Greece/Italy’s complete abrogation of the democratic process was bad enough but at least that didn’t involve hooded state paramilitaries.
Aye, It’s much more complex than a quick discussion on here could ever cover Ed. I guess it is a difficult subject. Being totally out of the loop was madness.
“The referendum is a matter for the Spanish government and people. We want to see Spanish law and the Spanish constitution respected and the rule of law upheld. Spain is a close ally and a good friend, whose strength and unity matters to us.”
t;dr carry on boys, we’re curious to see how far you can get with state sanctioned repression before anything meaningful happens to you…
“…whose unity matters to us.” In other words, it’s fine by us if you put down the Catalans by force. Bastards.
A report from Morocco says that that acn.cat website is not accessible from there. As my correspondent is an IT and telecoms specialist, I think I can fairly safely conclude that there is some sort of effort going on to block the site, but it’s patchy.
I saw on Twitter a little while ago that there was a reported death.
Not heard it confirmed.
I think they have lost Catalonia now.
If the constitution says that the country cannot be broken up, but there is a majority in one of the nations that want it to be broken up, then surely it’s time to look at the constitution. Is the constitution there to serve the people, or is it there to be served by the people?
I know it can’t be done lightly, but it has to be a possibility. Things change and ever faster these days. Governments must be prepared to hear and act on what they hear.
The fact is that it’s not all going to be fine tomorrow morning. People won’t just go back to work like nothing happened. Like they didn’t have their government dissolved, the mayors imprisoned and their neighbour’s civil guard kick hell out of people for wanting to vote.
They have lost the country and it will be a struggle now to keep it from turning to civil unrest.
I imagine that the Council of Europe will have an opinion on the disbanding of the government.
Funnily, I was invited to go to Spain only the other day.
The Spanish Veep came out with a corker: police activity had been proportional, no people had been harmed, and the referendum had not been held… right-wing delusional alternative facts. Oh yes, and called on Puigdemont or someone to “end this farce”. Aye, right.
Final report on the internet blocking thing I was going on about – all problems reaching the site miraculously ceased at 8 p.m. local time, which would be 9 p.m. Barcelona time, which is when the polls closed.
The BBC are reporting that Carles Puigdemont has said on TV that Catalunya has won the right to statehood and that the door has been opened to a unilateral declaration of independence. Where now for Spain and the E.U?
When you get shipped to another part of “your” country, (where they talk funny) get all armoured up and are looking to use your training as riot police… Then it’s just people with their arms up waiting in a line – wouldn’t you get frustrated? I mean we brought all these rubber bullets and tear gas, and our boss says it’s alright to use them?
Casualties reach 844. Not seen any footage of hurt heavily armoured police yet, but apparently there has been 12. Go the grannies and their walking sticks.
Conan, I’m sure lots of those riot police have suffered muscle strains hauling women about by their hair and some of them could easily have strained ligaments when lashing old folks with their whip batons. Fascist scum – the Guardia Civil, Franco’s bastard children.
The final result was over 90% for independence, in other words, higher than even the Kurds managed just now. A number of ballot boxes were stolen, I read.
If anyone comes across some reliable info on the demographics of Catalunya, I’d be interested to see them. My gut reaction is that there must be many, many incomers in Catalunya from other parts of Spain, and elsewhere, and they too must have voted in large numbers for independence.
I look forward to hearing what the inhabitants of the Balearics think of all this, and whether they want to reunite their islands with the former territories of the Kingdom of Mallorca on the mainland…
MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
Hey, Hamish on the Colombia River in Oregon. Thank you for adding him. That’s a huskie in the background and not a wolf, lol…. thankfully. Awesome pictures as always. Love the one of Catalonia. Good luck to them all tomorrow, hopefully there will be no violence.
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He’s as cute as a button, as they say… My favourite of him is on the bridge in Mexico.
Hear hear to your sentiments for Catalonia. These are people with such spirit. Our hopes and wishes are with them for a successful and peaceful outcome.
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First shots have been fired. Didn’t take them long.
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Tragic.
Heartbreaking .
Escalation?
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Thank you, thank you for the lovely cheetahs – such cute kitties. I do like a zebra too. And who knew they had West Highland terriers in Mexico. The ducks are very eye catching – until the request for them I’d never heard of them.
And of course good luck Catalonia. You’re in my thoughts.
ps the orangs were obviously great too!
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You’re early this week PP.
Glad you liked the pussy cats.
Our Hamish has done a power of travelling. Not just Mexico but Oregon too. He’s the luckiest of wee dugs!
The colourful ducks were by request of John, who copyrighted “Soppy Sunday”.
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Visca Catalunya lliure. I will be keeping as close a watch as I can on the progress of the referendum today.
That photo of Glasgow: it’s the intersection of Craigmuir Road and Gleddoch Road in Penilee in 1942. Here’s how I know: http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image/?inum=TGSA05287 (Shortened URL
http://tinyurl.com/y9bbxjys,
just in case the full-sized one gets mashed by WordPress.)
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Thanks, Ed.
Not so much we can do from here, but at least we can have Catalonia in our thoughts.
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I wonder what “foamslag” is.
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It’s blast-furnace slag turned into a foam with water or compressed air. Because of wartime shortages of traditional building materials it was used in construction as a (cheap) substitute. Blast-furnace slag goes into the making of foamed concrete still in various places – the foamed stuff is lighter for the volume, of course, like an Aero compared to a Yorkie.
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Wow… the things you know.
Thanks, Ed.
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The Edinburgh photo; see the spire in the top right hand corner? The second window down from that used to be my office window. I feel quite melancholic now…
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Wow… what a place to work.
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The view was spectacular.
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Oh yeah I can see the foam padding on
The walls and the jacket that does up at
The back …..Must be your old Office ?
Apropos Catalunya
Time for the rebirth of the International brigade
I’m Game are you ?
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LOL Niko. You’re on your game today. Very witty indeed.
Well, that’s you and Kez from the Labour movement… oh and Owen Jones.
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It’s Edinburgh City Chambers, so there *are* a lot of nutjobs wandering its labyrinthine corridors. Usually looking for the Labour office.
Hopefully it won’t come to war Niko.
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According to The Glasgow Story, the photograph is of the Gleddoch Road/Craigmuir Road junction in 1942. Apparently Penilee was one of the few housing schemes built during the Second World War.
On a more serious note, seeing the level of force the Spanish Government is using to try to deprive the people of Catalonia of their right to vote in their independence referendum, I am concerned that this could result in open conflict, and lead to casualties on both sides.
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Thanks Alex. It’s amazing that they could build housing with such a shortage of labour.
Conan’s reported that the first shots have been fired. It’s bound to escalate.
These poor people.
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Rubber bullets so far.
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Just been looking at the scenes of violence from the police. Grabbing ballot boxes, Manhandling elderly people.
Spain seems no longer to be a democracy.
Where is Corbyn? Why is he saying nothing?
And why does the BBC think that some story about Monarch Airlines is more important than this state thuggery in Europe?
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Tris, you know why…
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Of course I do, John.
I see Labour has nothing to say abo0ut it, except Kezia to her credit.
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The BBC can GTF, I’m using the Catalan News website.
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Thirty eight injured so far. None of them police.
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That’s http://www.catalannews.com/ (in English). The Catalan-language site of the Agència Catalana de Noticias, http://www.acn.cat, who provide that one, appears to have been blocked – I am getting the error message “403: Access Forbidden / Your location (RU) has been blacklisted.” It is giving the same message using my own ISP here in the UK (Plusnet), and regardless of what location I select around the world through my VPN provider Private Internet Access (PIA). I recommend PIA, by the way – it works very well and at a reasonable cost when you’ve finally got it set up properly.
I would like other readers to try accessing that site too from their locations; I think you’ll agree that blocking news websites is a serious business, and really ought to have our journos up in arms – even the Kuensbergs and Robinsons of this world. And even the Daisleys and the Torrances. Though probably not La McFadyen.
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I should have posted a link 😳
The twitter feed seems OK
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Correction. Apologies to our Catalan readers: I inadvertently slipped into Castillian. It should, of course, be the Agència Catalana de Notícies.
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Ed….You asked about other readers’ access to the link(s) you provided. Here in the states, the English language site works fine. The Catalan language site also seems OK, but wants a sign-in. No “403 Access Forbidden” here.
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Thanks. I hope it’s not just me that’s having the problem. I wonder if its calculation or technology that determines where access to the site is blocked.
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Works fine on Sky. Its probably just Plusnet being useless (as normal) again – in this cas (at a guess) caching the dns lookup for longer than they should.
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Seems OK in Oz
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I’m thinking about VPN.
I agree. They are starting to look like Honecker’s East Germany.
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OK, people – thanks already, Conan – please do keep looking. Meantime I have bcc-d the following to as many people as I could (a) think of who might be interested, and (b) some journos and politicos. I will be interested to see what if anything Ruth Davidson and Kezia Dugdale have to say in reply, though I doubt they’ll see it today. Well, that goes for just about everyone, I suppose.
“Catalan news blackout
Dear News Editor and others,
Although the news from the (official) Agència Catalana de Notícies is still available through their English-language website http://www.catalannews.com, their original Catalan-language site, http://www.acn.cat, appears to have been blocked. I am receiving the error message “403: Access Forbidden / Your location (RU) has been blacklisted”.
I get the same message that my location (RU – which I interpret as meaning Russia) has been blacklisted regardless of whether I use my own ISP directly, or connect through any of the VPN locations that I select around the world.
Blocking news sites is completely unacceptable in a modern European democracy, or indeed anywhere. I trust you will give this piece of information about the block all the attention it deserves.
I am circulating this e-mail to my friends in countries other than Scotland to check that the information is true, and to get the message out.
Sincerely,” … etc.
I can’t think of anything else I can do.
Tris, today more than ever, your life-enhancing orangutans were necessary to my soul. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kez has condemned the violence. Much of her party seem to have followed the lead of Corbyn and said nothing. The arch Tory in Labour Tom Harris has said that nationalists will be nationalists. He would, of course, as he is only recognisable by the soles of his shoes hanging from the Barclay arses. Odious little creep.
Apologies for the language and imagery.
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Let it all hang out Tris, as they used to say in my youth…
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Thank goodness for Orangutans, eh Ed?
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Ahem. Thanks to Vestas – it was a DNS problem, but not Plusnet’s. I am now officially embarrassed. I propose to handle this by pretending it never happened, and console myself with the thought that the more hits that the Agència Catalana de Notícies gets, the better.
I note that Barça have yet to decide whether to cancel their match with Las Palmas later.
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The number of injured people has now reached 337.
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What are they thinking in Madrid.
They could have allowed the referendum. They could have compromised.
They could even have said, after it was over that it was illegal and could not be done under the constitution.
But instead they have behaved like thugs to young and old. What might have been repairable has now become irreparable.
People who were beaten by thug Spanish policemen will never be Spanish. They will never accept Spain or Spain’s king, who is allowing this to happen. Remember he has real power.
I hope no Scot ever goes to Spain on holiday again. Catalonia yes, Spain, never.
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Tris, the Penilee 1942 pic got me thinking (or as near as I ever get to thinking).
Glasgow, 1942 – a street corner, beside a phone box. Three neighbours, Mrs. Bella McKinstry, Mrs.Isa Chisholm and Mrs. Jeanie O’Leary are chatting –
Mrs. McKinstry: “Look at that. Ower the road there. Oot wi the wean in a pram, bold as brass. She says the fella’s goanny merry her when he gets oot o the army. Aye, right, eh?
(Calls out) “Oh hullo, Frances! How ur ye keepin’, hen? Is the wee ane daein’ a’ right?”
Mrs. O’Leary: “She’s nae better than she should be that ane. Bluidy disgrace!”
Mrs. McKinstry: “Ach, her mother was jist the same. Whit wid ye expect fae the daughter?”
Mrs. Chisholm (shouting)” “Senga! Senga Chisholm, is that you playin’ oan yir big brother’s bike? If he catches ye, he’ll rattle yir ear, so he wull!
(To the others) “See that lassie, she’s got ma hert roastit, so she his. She should’ve been a boay.”
Mrs. McKinstry: “Good Goad, is that the time? Ma man’s shift’ll be nearly finished an‘ Ah’’ve nuthin in fur the tea. Ah better get movin’ See yeze later.”
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Sounds about right, Andi. LOL.
Kinda reminds me of grandmothers and great aunts from my childhood.
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I need to take a break now, people, and irreligious as I am, I confess I’m doing a spot of praying. This behaviour by the Rajoy regime is just heartbreaking. Also, it’s not just deplorable, it’s utterly boneheaded and counterproductive.
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Absolutely. What he has done is show, without any doubt, that Spain is Catalonia’s enemy.
Throwing young girls to the ground, jostling 90+ year olds,… what kind of civilised society does it?
If it were North Korea, Saudi, Bahrain or Israel I could accept it.
But this is the EU.
These people will hate Spain with passion for the rest of their lives.
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I don’t think indyref2 is going to pass now if its got anything about being a member of the EU.
Spain is supposedly democratic (it isn’t but nor is the UK) and as soon as push comes to shove all the Falangists come out of the closet & do what they always do – attack Catalonia. The thin veneer of “democracy” is replaced by their true fascist instincts.
Now take a look east – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia are all pretty much openly fascist now. The rest of the “Visegrad” entrants aren’t much better.
I don’t want to be in a union with these people. They belong 50+ years in the past & I don’t see why we should have to haul them kicking and screaming into the 21st century when half of them belong in the 19th!
EFTA is the only game in town for indyref2 now.
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Have to admit that I’ve always thought that Scotland had more in common with Iceland, Norway, and the other Scandinavian countries in the EU, along with Ireland and the IoM, and maybe the Netherlands.
I’d always have been reasonably happy to be in EFTA.
The fact that the top table is in Brussels and Edinburgh woudn’t be at it wouldn’t
matter too much to us. We’ve never had a seat there anyway.
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The EU is still our best hope, in my view, but it is, of course, not perfect. I thought that the collective arse deserved a good kicking over Greece, and if they let Spain get away with this outrage and do no recognize Catalunya when it declares independence – or at least do recognize it, but with the Spanish imposing a veto – my confidence will have been severely undermined. However, there’s a possibility – think UKIP – that they are keeping quiet about the Spanish Government’s behaviour because to condemn it would only excite even more of the anti-foreigner attitudes among the Franquistas in the Partido Popular. It would be seen as Interference in Domestic Affairs, and their obnoxious attitudes would mean that they would take an even harder line. Also, there’s the might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb aspect to it.
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Nope, not buying that.
Poland has been in breach of membership rules for nearly 2 years – their “Truth & Justice” party hires & fires ALL of the judiciary now so there is no rule of law. Nothing happened, nothing will.
If the EU doesn’t suspend Spain then its not a union I want to be in. Greece/Italy’s complete abrogation of the democratic process was bad enough but at least that didn’t involve hooded state paramilitaries.
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Aye, It’s much more complex than a quick discussion on here could ever cover Ed. I guess it is a difficult subject. Being totally out of the loop was madness.
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465 now injured. Spain is waving goodbye to Catalonia with riot sticks.
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They’re using tear gas now.
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They are attacking firefighters
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/catalonia-referendum-firefighters-spanish-police-beaten-attacked-independence-human-shield-barcelona-a7976766.html
EFA requests international sanctions against Spain.
http://www.e-f-a.org/services/news-single-view/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1084&cHash=aabbda965902e1164dbb46b96ce06c09
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Any comment from Mrs May ….or BoJo?
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FO statement :
“The referendum is a matter for the Spanish government and people. We want to see Spanish law and the Spanish constitution respected and the rule of law upheld. Spain is a close ally and a good friend, whose strength and unity matters to us.”
t;dr carry on boys, we’re curious to see how far you can get with state sanctioned repression before anything meaningful happens to you…
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“…whose unity matters to us.” In other words, it’s fine by us if you put down the Catalans by force. Bastards.
A report from Morocco says that that acn.cat website is not accessible from there. As my correspondent is an IT and telecoms specialist, I think I can fairly safely conclude that there is some sort of effort going on to block the site, but it’s patchy.
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I saw on Twitter a little while ago that there was a reported death.
Not heard it confirmed.
I think they have lost Catalonia now.
If the constitution says that the country cannot be broken up, but there is a majority in one of the nations that want it to be broken up, then surely it’s time to look at the constitution. Is the constitution there to serve the people, or is it there to be served by the people?
I know it can’t be done lightly, but it has to be a possibility. Things change and ever faster these days. Governments must be prepared to hear and act on what they hear.
The fact is that it’s not all going to be fine tomorrow morning. People won’t just go back to work like nothing happened. Like they didn’t have their government dissolved, the mayors imprisoned and their neighbour’s civil guard kick hell out of people for wanting to vote.
They have lost the country and it will be a struggle now to keep it from turning to civil unrest.
I imagine that the Council of Europe will have an opinion on the disbanding of the government.
Funnily, I was invited to go to Spain only the other day.
I won’t be going.
I’d not spend a single € there now.
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The Spanish Veep came out with a corker: police activity had been proportional, no people had been harmed, and the referendum had not been held… right-wing delusional alternative facts. Oh yes, and called on Puigdemont or someone to “end this farce”. Aye, right.
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Do none of these governments know that we have phones and there’s this thingy call the internet?
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The way these state sponsored criminals were putting the boot in it’ll be a miracle if there’s no loss of life.
Spain’s off the holiday list for me as well.
The list of products not to buy as an Indy supporter is ever increasing. I now have a holiday destination on the list.
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I think Rioja is safe; that’s in Basque country I believe.
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Final report on the internet blocking thing I was going on about – all problems reaching the site miraculously ceased at 8 p.m. local time, which would be 9 p.m. Barcelona time, which is when the polls closed.
We shall see what the morrow brings.
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The end of Spain as we know it, I should think.
It may stay together. It will never be the same.
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“burly men” at the polling station:
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20171001/fotos-1-octubre-referendum-cataluna-6323103
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Aye Ruthie. That’s what you call burly men!
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The BBC are reporting that Carles Puigdemont has said on TV that Catalunya has won the right to statehood and that the door has been opened to a unilateral declaration of independence. Where now for Spain and the E.U?
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I see Angela Merkel has slapped down Spain.
I wish I knew how Spain and the EU are going to sort this, but it was an overwhelming majority. Catalonia must now be free.
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When you get shipped to another part of “your” country, (where they talk funny) get all armoured up and are looking to use your training as riot police… Then it’s just people with their arms up waiting in a line – wouldn’t you get frustrated? I mean we brought all these rubber bullets and tear gas, and our boss says it’s alright to use them?
Isn’t it?
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Sold by Israel, I read.
I’m looking forward to reading the international observers’ report.
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Casualties reach 844. Not seen any footage of hurt heavily armoured police yet, but apparently there has been 12. Go the grannies and their walking sticks.
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Conan, I’m sure lots of those riot police have suffered muscle strains hauling women about by their hair and some of them could easily have strained ligaments when lashing old folks with their whip batons. Fascist scum – the Guardia Civil, Franco’s bastard children.
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And unaccompanied girls.
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The final result was over 90% for independence, in other words, higher than even the Kurds managed just now. A number of ballot boxes were stolen, I read.
If anyone comes across some reliable info on the demographics of Catalunya, I’d be interested to see them. My gut reaction is that there must be many, many incomers in Catalunya from other parts of Spain, and elsewhere, and they too must have voted in large numbers for independence.
I look forward to hearing what the inhabitants of the Balearics think of all this, and whether they want to reunite their islands with the former territories of the Kingdom of Mallorca on the mainland…
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Ed, I didn’t have time to more than glance at this, but it may help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia
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