Upcoming Barcelona Demonstrations

[California Michael]

Received this am:

Embassy of the United States of America

Madrid, Spain

 

 Consulate General of the United States of America

Barcelona, Spain

 

Demonstration Alert – November 8, 2019

 

 

Location: Barcelona

 

Event:  Several large demonstrations are expected in Barcelona in the days before and after the Spanish national election on Sunday, November 10:

 

·       Friday, November 8: A demonstration related to the presence of the acting president of Spain is expected at 6:30 pm near the Fira Barcelona Montjuic convention center in the Plaça Espanya/Montjuic area.

·       Saturday, November 9: Demonstrations are expected starting at 4:00 pm in Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona and in the main plazas of other major cities in Catalonia.

·       Saturday, November 9: A separate demonstration is expected starting at 7:00 pm near Plaça Catalunya.

·       Sunday, November 10: No plans for large demonstrations have thus been made public for election day, but it is important to remain vigilant as demonstrations and attempts to obstruct transportation can be organized at the last minute.

·       U.S. citizens can expect other large demonstrations, some with limited notice ahead of time, to occur in Barcelona and throughout Catalonia in the days after the Spanish national election on Sunday, November 10.

 

Similar demonstrations in October have turned violent, with dozens of injuries reported and arrests made. There is a potential for further clashes during some of these demonstrations.

 

U.S. citizens are advised to avoid the areas of demonstrations. Please see our Demonstrations in Spain webpage for more information as well as the resources below.

 

Actions to Take:

 

·       Avoid the areas of the demonstrations.

·       Exercise caution if in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests.

·       Monitor local media for updates.

·       Be aware of your surroundings.

·       Keep a low profile.

·       Notify friends and family of your safety.

 

The Barcelona tourism office has set up a telephone line for tourists that are seeking information on what public services have been affected by the situation: +34 93 285 3834. For the latest information on travel disruptions, visit https://twitter.com/emergenciescat; English translation is available.

 

U.S. citizens may monitor English-language Spanish media at the following website:

https://elpais.com/agr/catalonia_independence/a/

 

Airport and flight information : http://www.aena.es/en/passengers/passengers.html

Public Transportation information: https://twitter.com/TMB_Barcelona and https://www.tmb.cat/es/barcelona/como-llegar

Also, view updates on Twitter, Facebook and Official Websites from the Mossos d’Esquadra (Regional Police), Barcelona City Police, Spanish National Police and Guardia Civil:

 

Mossos d’Esquadra (Regional Police)

Barcelona City Police

https://twitter.com/spanishpolice?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/PoliciaNacional/?fref=ts

https://www.policia.es/ 

https://twitter.com/guardiacivil?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/GuardiaCivil.es/

http://www.guardiacivil.es/en/servicios/atencionciudadano_1/index.html

 

Assistance:

·       U.S. Embassy Madrid, Spain

+34-915-872-200

AskACS@state.gov 

http://es.usembassy.gov 

·       U.S. Consulate General Barcelona, Spain

+34-932-802-227

BarcelonaACS@state.gov

http://es.usembassy.gov 

·       State Department – Consular Affairs

888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444  

·       Spain Country Information

 

·       Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.

 

·       Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

[Host Jazzbeau]

For future planning:  go to Barcelona next September 24.  That is the closing day of the La Mercè annual festival of Catalunya.  There will surely be no protests that day – only celebrations throughout the city!

[Cienfuegos]

The Spanish elections have concluded.  No party won an outright majority, so the process of organizing a coalition of parties is underway.

 

The parties least interested in supporting Catalan autonomy gained in this go-around, so I would expect Catalan unhappiness to persist.