Politics
08:24, 08-Dec-2017
Catalonia independence supporters protest in Brussels for EU support
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Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said he'll stay in Belgium for now, as he faces arrest in Spain for engineering Catalonia's independence referendum. His announcement came as thousands of Catalans descended on Brussels.
They demanded the EU take sides, while the EU said it doesn't want to get involved.
Nothing symbolizes democracy more than a protest. Tens of thousands of Catalans who traveled from Barcelona and other parts of the region, to the heart of the EU capital, joined their now deposed President Puigdemont in Brussels.
Just a stone's throw away from the EU's institutions, Catalans gathered to make Europe hear their voice. They want the EU to intervene against what many here are calling the oppression of the Spanish state that has criminally prosecuted their elected leaders, and ignored their right to self determination.
Most importantly, the protesters want the world to see how desperately they seek the right to independence ahead of Catalonia's regional elections on Dec 21.
The EU may still feel it has no authority to intervene in this growing national crisis, but as the protesters march outside their buildings, they will definitely be watching closely.
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