The beta male Puigdemont in the Belgian prosecutor’s office

This situation has gotten so dumb.

The virgin Catalans fled the Chad Spain, now they’re begging Belgium to give them asylum.

BBC:

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four former ministers have been freed with conditions by an investigating judge in Belgium.

The judge said they could not leave the country without permission and had to give details of their accommodation.

They had handed themselves in to Belgian police following an EU arrest warrant issued by a Spanish judge.

Mr Puigdemont fled to Belgium after Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia following an independence declaration.

He has said he will not return to Spain unless he is guaranteed a fair trial.

The five are wanted in Spain to face charges including rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

They’ve got a court date.

Reuters:

Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and four associates will appear before a Belgian court on Nov. 17 to discuss the European arrest warrant Spain has issued against them, prosecutors said on Monday.

“The Brussels prosecutor’s office hereby confirms that the hearing at the council chamber will take place on Nov. 17 at 1400 (1300 GMT),” Brussels prosecutors said in a statement.

I’m not sure how Belgium was chosen, but I’m sure there was some logic there. I would have picked Switzerland, I think, if I was intent on staying in Western Europe.

Anyway, based on the fact that they’ve been released and the court date is so far away, it looks like they’re going to be allowed to stay for the time being.

Stay and do what though?

Whine?

The last two secessions in Europe – the only two since I don’t know when, Kosovo and Crimea – were backed by military force.

Bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO

Allegedly stateless soldiers in Crimea

And that’s all good and well. If you have the ability to take something, I guess you should take it.

Conversely, in Scotland, the UK agreed to honor their independence referendum if it passed. It obviously didn’t pass but if it would have they would have gotten their independence.

But the idea that an illegal vote justifies itself – there is no precedent for this.

Why did these Cats think they could just be like “hey guys, we’re leaving, okay, bye bye then, bye, we’re our own country now guys, bye, see you later”?

These people are stupid.

LITERALLY Wojack turns 57.

This guy has already fled the country and is trying to seek asylum.

Some revolutionary he turned out to be. Jeez.

AFP:

A Spanish judge issued a EU arrest warrant Friday for Catalonia’s deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, a day after he failed to appear for questioning over his role in the region’s tumultuous independence drive.

The announcement added to anger and dismay in a second straight night of demonstrations in the wealthy north-eastern region, with protesters chanting and waving Catalan flags of red and yellow stripes with a white star.

Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, holed up in Belgium, with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. On Thursday the 54-year-old ignored a summons to appear before the same judge in Madrid.

A EU arrest warrant was also issued for four other Catalan ministers who failed to show up and are also thought to be in Belgium, a court statement said. They, like Puigdemont, were dismissed by Spain’s central government a week ago.

On Thursday the judge had Puigdemont’s deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers jailed pending a possible trial because of a risk that they might similarly abscond.

Speaking in an interview on Belgian television channel RTBF on Friday, recorded before the widely expected warrant was issued, Puigdemont said he was not hiding from “real justice” but from a “clearly politicised” Spanish legal system.

“I have told my lawyers to inform the Belgian justice authorities that I am completely at their disposal,” he said.

Belgian prosecutors said they would study the warrant and then give it to a judge.

…

Puigdemont’s Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who has helped Basque separatists militants challenge Spanish extradition, said his client did not see the climate as “conducive to testifying”.

Late Thursday, as television footage showed police vans with flashing blue lights driving Puigdemont’s former ministers to different prisons, furious Catalans took to the streets.

About 20,000 people, according to police, demonstrated in the regional capital Barcelona, while others gathered across in towns, and thousands turned out again on Friday evening.

In Barcelona, people thronged outside the Catalan parliament chanting “Freedom for political prisoners”, “Occupying forces leave” and also “This Europe is a disgrace”.

…

Puigdemont has said that the situation “is no longer an internal Spanish affair”, calling on the international community to wake up to the “danger”.

But apart from Scotland’s separatist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon criticising the “jailing of political opponents”, there are no signs that other countries’ steadfast backing of Madrid is faltering.

Germany reiterated its support for the “unity and constitutional order of Spain” while a European Commission spokeswoman said it respects “fully” the independence of the Spanish judiciary.

It looks as though Madrid is going to win.

This is pretty much already over.

They waited too long to declare independence, they lost momentum, now no one outside of Spain cares. And their whole plan was hinged on international public sentiment.

I don’t know why no one listens to my advice. I give it out here for free to the entire world, and it is generally always correct.

So this guy is like “yo, you all go out and get beaten by the Combine cops – I gotta go do a thing.”

And flees the country.

This is why you don’t put beta males in charge of revolutions, people.

We need a “Virgin Catalan Hippie” vs. “Chad Spanish National Police” meme.

RT:

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has appeared in Brussels alongside other members of his cabinet as the Spanish Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza filed a lawsuit against the secessionist leaders over their push for independence.

Puigdemont did not go to the Catalonian regional Government Palace on Monday, even though he earlier vowed to “continue working to build a free country” in defiance of Madrid’s decision to sack his government and suspend Catalonia’s independence, which he said went against the will of the people.

On Monday morning, he posted a photo of the Catalan parliamentary palace, but did not appear there. Later, the Catalan media reported that the sacked regional leader turned up in Brussels alongside with some other members of his cabinet.

The Spanish authorities soon confirmed that Puigdemont had indeed traveled to the Belgian capital. The Catalan government’s press service, on the contrary, said it has no information about his whereabouts and added that it “knows nothing about the president [of the Generalitat of Catalonia] at the moment,” as reported by TASS.

Puigdemont left Spain for Belgium at a time when the Spanish Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had filed a lawsuit against the sacked Catalan leader, other members of his cabinet and some regional MPs on rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges with the Spanish National Court. In total, the charges have been filed against 12 people, La Vanguardia reports.

Catalonia’s El Periodico newspaper reported that Puigdemont allegedly traveled to Brussels to meet with Flemish politicians. Two days ago Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, expressed its solidarity with the Catalans in their drive for independence.

Belgian Immigration Minister Theo Francken did not rule out granting asylum to Puigdemont if he applies. The minister called such an outcome “not unrealistic” on Sunday.

His statement, however, provoked a backlash from Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, who said that giving political asylum to Puigdemont is “absolutely not on the agenda.” He also urged Francken “not to fan the flames.”

So there’s maybe a way to frame this as not cowardly. But it would be hard.

You could say that he’s going to claim asylum and then declare himself “government in exile.”

But the fact of the matter is, he would be better off going to prison for the cause. He can’t really do anything from Brussels, other than whine, and fleeing instead of making his case to the nation he looks like a coward to his own people who will lose faith.

They would probably only put him in jail for a couple years, and he could write a book and get out to resume the struggle.

The thing is – I don’t think he or anyone else really feel that strongly about this whole independence thing. I don’t even know what their grievances are, and I’ve been paying attention.

I think Puigdemont is legit only doing this because he got beat up in high school.

Twerp nationalism lol.

How the hell are you going to peacefully resist billy clubs, faggot?

These people have already shown they will beat you with bats.

These Cats are going to have to go full-IRA or just surrender like a bunch of beta faggots.

RT:

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was fired by the Spanish government over the region’s declaration of independence, has called on the people to non-violently resist Madrid’s takeover bid.

In a televised address on Saturday, Puigdemont said Madrid’s decision to suspend the autonomy of the province and appoint Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria as Catalonia’s provisionary head goes against the will of the people.

“It’s very clear that the best form of defending the gains made up until now is democratic opposition to article 155,” Puigdemont said in a brief statement aired on public regional TV3 broadcaster. He further pledged to “continue working to build a free country”.

Madrid’s move came after the Catalan Parliament voted to declare the region independent from the Spanish government on Friday.

Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy announced the dismissal of Puigdemont and his cabinet, as well as the head of the regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra. He also dissolved the Catalan parliament and announced a snap election will be held in the region on December 21.

Late Saturday, Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo offered the deposed Catalan leader the chance to participate in the vote. “I think he should prepare for next elections,” he told Reuters, saying that if Puigdemont wants to continue with his political career, it is “his right.”

According to Mendez, the Spanish central government will react with “intelligence and with common sense” if Puigdemont refuses to vacate his office. As for possible criminal proceedings against him, de Vigo said that “no one is above the law” and remarked that judicial and political powers were separated in Spain.

COMMON SENSE POLICE BRUTALITY!

LOVE IT!

Anyway, his master plan is apparently to send his hippies out to get beaten by the cops and then force European leaders to come out and say, “ehhhhh, actually you can’t do that – we are pretending to be a love and peace human rights democracy so we can bury this country in genetic waste from Africa and the Middle East, and beating people on the streets for voting doesn’t jive with that image.”

Maybe Madrid knows this and will just let them wear themselves out on the streets, I guess. But they’ve already fired the President, meaning if they don’t remove him he’s just going to start behaving as though he is the President of an independent nation. They’re going to have to arrest him. And that is going to give the independence marchers a lot of energy.

So: I stick to my belief of a few weeks go. I think independence is going to happen because of police brutality.

Following the weird statement by the Vice-Cat, it was clear that they were planning on making a declaration.

They have done so.

RT:

Following a secret ballot, MPs in the Catalan regional parliament passed a motion to declare independence from Spain. Opposition members boycotted the vote.

The independence motion was passed with 70 votes in favor, 10 against, and two blank ballots, the assembly’s speaker announced, according to Reuters. The vote led to a celebration among thousands of independence supporters cheering in the streets in Barcelona, the region’s capital.

Lawmakers from the Socialist Party, the People’s Party (PP), and Ciudadanos left the chamber in protest ahead of the vote. The European Commission has declined to comment following the vote, according to Reuters.

Before the secret ballot, the Catalonian regional parliament also voted in favor of starting the “constituent process” to split from Madrid.

Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has urged for calm, stating that the rule of law will be restored in Catalonia. “I ask for calm from all Spaniards. The rule of law will restore legality in Catalonia,” Rajoy tweeted.Shortly after the Catalan vote, the upper house of Spain’s parliament approved direct rule by Madrid.The Spanish government will now hold a special cabinet meeting at 6pm local time on Friday, Rajoy said.

“Spain is a serious country and a great nation and we will not tolerate that a few people try liquidate our constitution,” he told journalists after the upper house approved the imposition of direct rule for Catalonia.

Funny – it didn’t really look very serious when those hippies and elderly were getting beaten by the Combine.

And it certainly did not look serious after you sent the Combine in to beat weak, unarmed people and they passed their resolution anyway.

And they’re doubling down.

RT:

The Spanish Senate has approved invoking Constitutional Article 155, imposing direct Madrid rule on Catalonia. The move came minutes after the region’s parliament declared independence from Spain.

The move will allow Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his cabinet to adopt measures to rule Catalonia directly. The measures might include dissolving the Catalan government, assuming direct control of the rogue region’s police force and other steps to limit Barcelona’s autonomy.

Never before used by Madrid, the controversial Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution is effectively the political “nuclear option” for Spain’s central government.

As I predicted, Eurocrats are already backing away from Madrid, assuming they are going to use violence.

For EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor. I hope the Spanish government favours force of argument, not argument of force.

— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 27, 2017

Madrid has no option other than beating people with bats in the street, and the EU doesn’t care enough about Spain or Catalonia to try to defend a massive ongoing spectacle of vicious police brutality.

But I do hope that Spain sends in the Combine to beat some of these people. It was really funny last time.

Either way, this is going to cause a breakdown of relations with the EU, and could trigger all sorts of unforeseen things. And the chaos always helps us at this point, given that no order which we wish to preserve even exists.

We’ll keep you updated. They’re gonna send the cops in soon, for sure.

I’m personally sick of this particular drama.

But…

It is happenin.

This isn’t the leader of Catalan though. It’s the Vice President (fat beard guy in the picture above).

Daily Mail:

Catalonia’s vice president has today said Spain has given the region’s separatists no option but to proclaim a new republic.

Oriol Junqueras said his party – one of two in the ruling separatist Catalan coalition – is ‘going to work toward building a republic, because we understand that there is a democratic mandate to establish such a republic.’

So, that’s the official declaration then?

I guess?

Seems a little bit coy, but I’m not sure how you can build a republic unless you’re independent.

But Junqueras insisted he was speaking on behalf of his Republican Left party and not for the regional government of President Carles Puigdemont. 

He said the Spanish government ‘is giving us no other option.’

His remarks come amid frantic jockeying in the Catalan government on how to respond to plans by Spanish authorities to fire them and directly manage the region’s affairs.

It comes after a Catalan government spokeswoman said Catalonia’s separatist leader Carles Puigdemont will not appear before the Spanish Senate in Madrid to state his case for independence.

‘He will not go on Thursday or on Friday,’ the spokeswoman explained, after the Senate suggested Puigdemont could appear at the upper house before it gives Madrid the green light to take over Catalonia’s regional powers.

She did not give a reason but another Catalan government source said it was because Spain’s central government ‘has already announced that it will implement Article 155 (of the Spanish constitution) no matter what.’

Yeah, and they also might just decide to arrest him on the spot.

He is, objectively, engaged in sedition.

On Wednesday, Spain’s prime minister said his government’s plans to take control of Catalonia’s key affairs and halt the region’s push for independence are ‘exceptional’.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told Parliament that invoking constitutional authority over Catalonia was the ‘only possible’ way to bring the region back in line with Spanish law, which he said the separatist Catalan government has violated repeatedly.

Rajoy said he hopes the measures planned, which includes removing Catalan government officials and curtailing the regional parliament’s powers, will be brief.

They should end with a regional election he hopes to call soon, but only will be lifted once order is restored in Catalonia, the prime minister.

Spain’s Senate, based in Madrid, is expected to approve the measures on Friday. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was expected address the Senate to argue against them, but has chosen to stay in Barcelona.

Puigdemont instead plans to attend a session of the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, the region’s capital, beginning Thursday and ending Friday, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with internal party regulations.

Rajoy has asked the Senate to invoke a section of the Spain Constitution, Article 155, that allows the central government to step in when a region is found to be acting illegally. The action has never been taken before.

So, it looks like an impasse.

This is some kind of dry run, with Junqueras instead of Puigdemont making the declaration. I’m not sure why a dry-run would even be necessary, except for the fact that Puigdemont is a beta male.

The Cats have effectively just declared independence. And Madrid has said they are taking away their right to govern.

We already know Madrid will use force. They already beat the shit out of a bunch of hippies and old people.

The question is: is Barcelona willing to use force?

Are the Cats willing to go full-IRA?

Can the beta male Puigdemont order violent retaliation against Madrid in order to support his quest for freedom?

Bombing Manchester freed the Irish.

Is whatever it is these people are fighting for actually worth going to that level?

It seems like if it was, it would be more intuitive to understand – I’m still not clear on their grievances. Honestly, it looks like the masses of people that live there wrongly view it as a panacea for the general ills of modernity.

No real substance to it, beyond maybe some financial benefits (which likely no one below the upper-middle class would notice).

So: is this man capable of taking lives in order to fight for whatever it is he wants?

I’ll tell you what: that would at least be interesting. For sure.

I’m generally having a hard time paying attention to this.

But the situation does continue to intensify.

Half a million people on the street right now in Barcelona, banging pots and pans, whining about their freedoms.

La manifestación en #Barcelona debe cubrir 6 o 7 cuadras fácil del Psg de Gracia, más las calles aledañas #libertatjordis #155 #Catalunya pic.twitter.com/1ZmROCHKcR

— Luchismo Dogmatico (@LuchismoD) October 21, 2017

#BREAKING 📰 450,000 attended today's march #Barcelona 2 protest against imprisonment of two pro-independence leaders & Spanish intervention pic.twitter.com/KS8LGyMxCK

— Peronella (@peronelladarago) October 21, 2017

#Barcelona #RepublicaCatalana #Indepencia pic.twitter.com/GqSilTYCog

— Valors Democracia (@JordiCdf) October 21, 2017

And I’m just thinking like, yo – why can’t people get this passionate about the invasion?

RT:

The head of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell, has denounced Madrid’s decision to transfer the powers from the regional authorities to the central government as a “coup” as hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Barcelona in protest.

Earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his government wants to dissolve the Catalan parliament and call a snap election to restore order in the region. He also said that the powers of the Catalan government would be temporarily transferred to Madrid, adding that the relevant proposal was already sent to the Senate for approval.

Madrid’s decision provoked a wave of outrage in the secessionist region as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the regional capital, Barcelona, to voice their discontent with the central government’s move.

Forcadell harshly criticized Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s decision to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which allows Madrid to intervene and impose direct rule on any of Spain’s seventeen autonomous regions in case they are judged to have violated the law.

She said that the prime minister’s actions amount to a “de facto coup d’état” and strike “a blow to democracy.”

“Prime Minister Rajoy wants the parliament of Catalonia to stop being a democratic parliament, and we will not allow this to happen,” Carme Forcadell said in a televised speech, as cited by Reuters.

“This is why we want to send to the citizens of this country a message of firmness and hope. We commit today, after the most serious attack against the Catalan institutions since they were restored, to the defence of the sovereignty of the parliament of Catalonia,” she said.

In response to the central government’s decision to transfer administrative powers from Barcelona to Madrid, hundreds of thousands of protesters flooded the center of the Catalan capital. Some 450,000 people took part in the demonstration, AFP reported, citing local police.

The massive demonstration, which initially was expected to be a protest against the arrest of the two leaders of the separatist movement detained by the central Spanish authorities on suspicion of sedition, turned into a show of resistance against the latest measures taken by Madrid.

The demonstrators also banged pots and pans as they protested Madrid’s actions. The protesters were carrying banners against article 155 of the Spanish Constitution used by the central government to seize the powers from the Catalan authorities, as well as placards that read, “Free political prisoners.”

The protesters waved Catalan flags and chanting “independence” and “freedom.” They also called for the release of Jordi Sanchez, leader of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and Jordi Cuixart, of the Omnium Cultural Association, who were detained on the orders of Spain’s High Court.

The Omnium Cultural Association spokesman, Marcel Mauri, told the protesters at the rally that Madrid’s decision to take powers from the Catalan authorities had “destroyed democracy.” He also made a call in English for international support: “Help Catalonia, save Spain, save Europe.”

A big part of the issue here is that the international community can’t comment on this after going so hard against Crimean independence (after having supported Kosovo, the last Euro-independence bid).

The Western establishment would certainly look hypocritical if they embraced the Cats.

So you just have this deafening silence – this huge event is happening, and Putin is the only one who will comment on it.

Merkel and Macron have backed Madrid. But not especially strongly. They just say blah blah blah rule of law. No big show of “united with Spain,” because public opinion isn’t really clear.

I’m not the public, but my opinion isn’t even clear. However, the fact that the establishment is against the Cats makes me inclined to support them.

Point being, the European establishment is keeping their options open.

I still think they’re going to crack. The only real issue that independence could cause is a triggering of other ethnic minorities doing the same thing, which could potentially end in chaos of some type.

But to be clear, the Catalan are pro-EU.

But at the same time there is no serious support for Madrid, there is none for Barcelona.

I think my position of not really caring very much is sort of the general global position. Seriously, this is the biggest world event that no one cared about.

Barcelona demo #catalonia against Spanish ‘oppression’ pic.twitter.com/i9CnEtNZUi

— Tim Willcox (@BBCTimWillcox) October 21, 2017

Real talk though: long term, I’m not sure how the population of the region will be governable with this much bad blood. And the way Spain is handling thing, a few Cats getting together and deciding to go full-IRA is not totally out of the question.

Putin has a point here, folks.

It was Bill Clinton who bombed in support of an Islamic terrorist group in order to liberate Albanian Kosovo.

That was the first decision of this nature since WWII.

RT:

EU countries bolstered separatist sentiment in Europe when they bowed to US pressure and supported Kosovo breaking away from Serbia. They now face such consequences as the Catalan crisis, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says.

“As for the situation with Catalonia, we have seen a unanimous condemnation of the independence supporters by the EU and a number of other states,” Putin said. “Regarding that, I have to say – you should have thought about it earlier.”

BTFO

“Did they not know about centuries-old contradictions of this nature in Europe? They knew, didn’t they? But at the time they de facto welcomed the disintegration of a number of states in Europe, with undisguised relish,” he added.

The EU’s “unanimous support of Kosovo’s secession” has proved a turning point, and Europe now faces the repercussions of short-sighted policies aimed at “pleasing the bigger brother from Washington,” Putin believes.

Putin mentioned the 2014 Crimean referendum, which led to the region’s secession from Ukraine and ultimately its reunification with Russia, as a development that was “disliked by many.”

“And now, there you have it – Catalonia, Kurdistan in another region, and the list might be far from complete,” he added.

“It turns out that in the eyes of some of our colleagues, there are legitimate fighters for independence and freedom, and then there are separatists, who cannot defend their rights even through democratic procedures. Those like us say all the time that such double standards – and it’s a glaring example of double standards – are a serious threat to the stable development of Europe and other continents, to the implementation of integration processes worldwide,” Putin said.

…

In the most recent developments, Madrid threatened Barcelona with revocation of its autonomy via Article 155 of the constitution. The Catalan Government, in its turn, promised on Thursday to declare true, not-suspended independence if such a hostile move takes place.

At this point, Spain is ready to send the military in to quell the Cats.

I don’t really care, but whatever – the EU is against the Cats. So it’s at least funny.

ANNNNNND I…..

Still don’t care about this.

I did for a minute when I was on their registrar.

But then they kiked me.

RT:

The Spanish Constitutional Court has unanimously annulled the Catalan Referendum Law, approved by the region’s government ahead of the recent independence vote, according to a court spokesman.

The Catalan government responded immediately, with spokesman Jordi Turull saying the decision was “fast,” while “the mandate of the referendum continues.”

The court ruled “the law encroached state powers regarding popular consultations,” and that it “violated, among other constitutional principles, the supremacy of the Constitution, national sovereignty and the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation,” El Pais quoted the decision as saying.

…

On Monday, two leaders of pro-independence groups were detained in prison without bail as part of an investigation into alleged sedition. Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart from the National Catalan Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium, respectively, have been jailed on suspicion of organizing protests ahead of the vote.

Their detention, though, is said to be a judicial matter, not a political one, according to Spanish Justice Minister Rafael Catala. The Catalan government reacted angrily, calling it “another episode of democratic disgrace.”

The investigation will look into the suspected role of Sanchez and Cuixart in staging the protests on September 20 and 21, which saw thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets and impeding the searches of government buildings, according to the judge.

Meanwhile, the High Court took away the passport of Catalonia’s Mossos police chief, Josep Lluis Trapero, who is being investigated for the same offense. Trapero’s forces are accused of failing to help national police officers who were blocked inside a building in Barcelona by protesters.

Following the vote on October 1, Catalan leader Carles Puigedemont signed a declaration of independence but suspended it to facilitate a dialogue with Madrid.

The central government demanded that the region clarify whether it had declared a breakaway, giving it a deadline until Thursday for Puigdemont to say “yes” or “no.”

The reply it gave on Monday was deemed “not valid” by Madrid, threatening to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy under Article 155. However, the Catalan authorities remain adamant and say they “won’t give anything different” on Thursday.

I will note that the Jews have not come out and endorsed the Cats like they did the Kurds.

And Eurokike media was shilling pretty hard against the vote.

I will also note, again, that the stupidity of Madrid’s belligerence in this matter is very much working into the hands of the rebellious Cats.

If I were them, I would force more viral police beating videos somehow. Because otherwise, the international audience is going to stop caring about this and by default Madrid will win because they are the ones with the power.

Or who knows. Maybe the Cats will go full-IRA.

But you know. Probably that won’t happen.

The Irish are a special sort of folk in modern Europe. And the English, regrettably, are a special sort of cuck in modern Europe.

I don’t think the Cats would have the balls to bomb anything and I don’t think it would motivate Madrid if they did.

Hear from injured victims of Spanish police's manifestly disproportionate use of force during Catalonia vote @HRW https://t.co/4wsHEJKARO pic.twitter.com/QImPwWuzyz

— Gerry Simpson (@GerrySimpsonHRW) October 12, 2017

See.

I told you this.

If Madrid would have just let them do their referendum – which they did anyway – without sending in riot cops, the independence declaration would be worthless, they could just say “meh, whatever.”

But these hippie-smashing cops blew that.

RT:

Human Rights Watch says Spanish national police used “excessive force towards peaceful Catalans expressing their political opinion.” The group shared accounts of witnesses, including a 70-year-old woman, who said they were dragged, pushed and beaten during rallies.

“Spanish police engaged in excessive force when confronting demonstrators in Catalonia during a disputed referendum, using batons to hit non-threatening protesters and causing multiple injuries,” a report by Human Rights Watch released on Thursday says.

The human rights NGO analyzed photos and videos released by media and uploaded on social networks from the day of the referendum, October 1.

The content appears to show examples of “disproportionate use of force” against peaceful demonstrators “expressing their political opinion,” HRW says.

“The police may well have had the law on their side to enforce a court order but it didn’t give them the right to use violence against peaceful protesters,” according to Kartik Raj, Western Europe researcher at HRW.

The group said it spoke to witnesses in Girona, a city in north-western Catalonia, as well as two villages in Girona and Barcelona provinces.

“They grabbed me by the wrists, lifted me and pushed me, and then they threw me into the yard in front of the church, and I landed on the poor woman who was already there. Then I got pushed down the stairs and felt the kicks and punches coming in. Everything hurts,” Jordi Puig de Llivol, a 31-year-old auto service technician from the village of Fonollosa, recalled.

…

Madrid insists that the actions of Civil Guard and National Police were “prudent, appropriate and proportionate to the objective of ensuring compliance with the law and the rights of all citizens.”

Yeah guys… this isn’t the 1940s anymore.

#Spain: Police Used Excessive Force in #Catalonia – latest from @HRW on the day of the #CatalanReferendum https://t.co/0s1lwPJo6L

— Kartik Raj (@Kartik__Raj) October 12, 2017

At least not in the rest of the world.

Regrettably.

HRW said that Spain is party to the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and thus has obligations linked with the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and use of force by law enforcement.

On Tuesday, Catalan leaders signed what they called “a declaration of independence,” suspending it temporarily to facilitate dialogue with Madrid.

On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gave the Catalan authorities eight days to confirm whether they had declared independence.

They are letting this police brutality thing stew a minute. And it is stewing. HRW will signal other organizations, outrage will build.

I don’t even know why they did this.

It was just stupid.

But that is why their anti-independence bid is lost. For sure. The entire world is going to rally round the poor little victims of the bad, bad cops.