Felipe VI opened the leading trade show in Barcelona by praising Spain’s democracy, which has been criticized in the wake of the Supreme Court trial against 12 separatist leaders
More than a thousand protesters from the self-styled Committee for the Defense of the Republic
(CDR), a grassroots pro-Catalan independence protest group, and the
anti-capitalist separatist group Arran demonstrated on Sunday in
Barcelona against the presence of King Felipe VI at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), a leading trade show hosted in the Catalan capital.
Burning pictures of the king
The protesters marched toward the National Museum of
Catalan Art (MNAC), where the king was scheduled to appear at the MWC
opening dinner, carrying signs in support of the separatist leaders on trial at the Supreme Court
for their involvement in the illegal independence referendum on October
1, 2017, and the unilateral declaration of independence that was passed
a few weeks later in the Catalan regional parliament.
The protesters were stopped by riot police from reaching
the venue and returned to their starting point in Plaza España square,
burning the Spanish flag, copies of the Spanish Constitution and photos
of the king on their way. The pro-independence demonstrators then
returned to the MNAC, where they threw paint and objects at the police
cordon. Despite the heightened tension, the riot police did not charge
at the group.
King Felipe VI at MWC
King Felipe VI, meanwhile, officially opened the leading mobile industry trade show
by praising Spain’s democracy, describing it as one of the strongest in
the world. “On its own merit, Spain has become one of the 20 fullest
democracies [in the world], with international recognition, and in real
terms, our democracy has reached the highest level of prosperity and
well-being in our entire history,” he said in a speech that combined
Spanish, English and Catalan. Spain “enjoys solid institutions and
political and economic strength,” the king continued.
CDR protesters burn photos of the king.
The comments came as the Spanish justice system is under
increasing scrutiny over the Supreme Court trial, which independence
supporters have tried to portray as unfair and politically motivated.
Both the Spanish government and the separatists have made diplomatic
efforts to win support for their cause abroad. Last week, the king
backed the Spanish state against the 12 separatist defendants,
arguing at a prize ceremony in Madrid that “it is not possible to appeal
to a supposed democracy for being above the law.”
The dinner at the MWC marked the first time that Felipe VI
had appeared at the same table as Catalan regional premier Quim Torra,
who is a vocal opponent of the monarch and the trial against the 12
separatist leaders. Torra and Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau were
intentionally absent from the ceremonial greeting to the king,
which is established by protocol. Unlike last year, however, the king
was not booed or jeered at when he arrived at the event. Felipe VI has
been coming to the MWC since 2006, the first year that it was held here –
first as Crown Prince, and since 2015 as the king of Spain.
Spain has become one of the 20 most internationally recognized democracies
King Felipe VI
Speaking in English, Catalan premier Torra called on the
audience at the MWC dinner to remember “who opened Mobile World Congress
two years ago,” a reference to Carles Puigdemont, the former premier of
Catalonia who is in self-imposed exile in Brussels after fleeing the
Spanish justice system, which has ordered his arrest over his role in
the pro-independence drive. “In Catalonia, we love democracy more than
anything,” Torra added.
Torra and his regional government are known for their
opposition to the Spanish monarchy. When Torra was sworn in as premier,
he made no reference to the Spanish Constitution or the king of Spain
during the official ceremony. On Monday at the official launch of MWC,
Torra avoided being photographed with the official committee alongside
Felipe VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The official excuse
was that the premier had an “important” meeting with several companies
at the trade show.
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