BARCELONA (Sputnik) — Catalan nationalist organizations called to organize protests "against actions of the Spanish law enforcement agencies on the referendum day" on Tuesday during the "national strike." Thousands of students are protesting in the center of Barcelona, other demonstrations are also taking place at the same time. According to the El Pais newspaper, 52 streets in Barcelona were blocked by noon.
'No State, No Husband, No Borders, No Flags' pic.twitter.com/fEYBPJ3AER
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
Watching the crowds gather for the Barcelona General Strike demo…#VagaGeneral3O #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/tly1yEp9Jp
— Mick Barry TD (@MickBarryTD) 3 октября 2017 г.
Aplaudiment silenciós a Bombers, que s'incorporen a la manifestació #VagaGeneral3O pic.twitter.com/YoCDlxSD7D
— CUP Tarragona #MAMBO (@CUPTarragona) 3 октября 2017 г.
Mossos d'Esquarda, the Catalan police, urged people on its Twitter account to follow security rules and avoid provocations.
LEAVE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
Public transport is almost completely on strike, the underground trains do not run, the Aerobus connecting El Prat Airport to the city center is running half as often as usual. Ordering a taxi is also difficult.
#CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/1ri1fkX4qQ
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
'Out un-civil guards' #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/5wK93x76Yd
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
#CatalanReferendum Laia: 'I don't want independence but I want the right to vote' pic.twitter.com/pMHkcElU5u
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
According to a spokesperson of the AENA, the single operator of Spanish airports, the Catalan airports were working without delays and cancellations on Tuesday morning. The situation at El Prat is calm, there are no queues. According to the departure and arrival monitors, all flights are taking place on time. Registration desks are open, as are the shops and restaurants.
Streets in Barcelona mostly locked down by citizens today. Massive day or coordinated strike and protests everywhere #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/Anjv2Ajk3z
— Emeka Forbes (@emekaforbes) 3 октября 2017 г.
However, many tourists who need to get to the airport are facing numerous obstacles, the list of which begins at the hotels, which cannot provide the service of calling a taxi.
Peace #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/QjJxGQ6kXW
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
"Almost all taxi services have joined the strike. It is impossible to order a taxi from a hotel," a spokesperson of a hotel in central Barcelona told Sputnik.
Ekaterina, a tourist from Moscow, said she had known about the strike and had tried to order a taxi the previous evening, but had received a polite refusal.
"I ordered a taxi in advance, but they told me at the hotel last night there was nothing they could do, and advised me to catch a taxi on the street in order to get to the airport as early as possible. Half the streets are closed, we had to circle around the center a lot before we could leave the city," she said.
MUSEUMS AND CHURCHES ARE CLOSED
On Tuesday, many popular tourist sites were closed due to the protest. Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, as well as the FC Barcelona Museum is also closed today.
"What happened in Barcelona on October 1 was regrettable. We reject violence as a means of resolving conflicts. We want to publicly show our condemnation of the actions of the Spanish police," the Sagrada Familia’s website reads.
Estibadors/es pujant cap a la manifestació de les 18h a Jardinets de Gràcia. @CoordinadoraBCN #VagaGeneral3O
— COS Països Catalans (@COSnacional) 3 октября 2017 г.
✊🏾✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/QSANqDxMce
'Adios Mariano' #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/gcMLz9kxHh
— Maud (@MaudStart) 3 октября 2017 г.
The independence referendum, which is not recognized by the Spanish authorities and was suspended by the Spanish Constitution Court even before it started, took place in Catalonia on Sunday. There were clashes between voters and the Spanish Civil Guard at several polling stations.
According to the latest reports, as many as 893 people were injured, including 33 law enforcement officers.
