Official website of Catalan independence movement blocked
The official website of the Catalan government steering Spain's region towards an independence referendum, has been blocked as pressure from Madrid mounts against the independence movement.
Published: September 14, 2017, 9:41 am
The Catalan Generalitat, the governing body’s website – promoting the referendum to eventually become independent from Spain – was blocked by a court order one day before the pro-separatist camp officially launches its referendum campaign.
The latest move comes only days after prosecutors ordered police in Catalonia to seize ballot boxes, election flyers as well as any item tied to the referendum. On September 6, Catalonia’s Parliament passed a bill enabling an independence referendum to be held at the beginning of next month, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.
Spain’s public prosecutor on Wednesday also ordered a criminal probe of some 700 Catalan mayors cooperating with the October 1 independence referendum, which is deemed illegal by Madrid, after the region’s pro-separatist government asked 948 mayors to provide facilities for polling stations.
The prosecutors’ office have warned that mayors participating as organisers in the vote next month, will be summoned to court as official suspects and if they refuse “their arrest will be ordered”, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by AFP.
“They can arrest us, they’re crazy!,” one pro-separatist mayor from L’Espluga de Francoli, a small town, told AFP, adding that Madrid had “proposed nothing” in repsonse to Catalonia’s demands for greater autonomy.
On the same day, officers of the Spanish Guardia Civil entered the office of CDMon company and delivered the court order. The company, responsible for the technical support of the website, quickly blocked the domain.
But Carles Puigdemont, the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, soon tweeted an address for the new website of the Catalan independence referendum — www.ref1oct.cat. Puigdemont and members of his government already face charges of “civil disobedience, misfeasance and misappropriation of public funds” which could mean jail sentences of up to eight years.
The Spanish government says the bill is illegal and brought a case before the Constitutional Court. The very next day, Spain’s Constitutional Court suspended the Catalan law enabling the independence referendum.
In 2014, some 80 percent voted in a non-binding referendum in favor of Catalonia becoming an independent state. The independence vote was later ruled unconstitutional by Madrid.
Madrid has vowed to put an end to the referendum, saying that Spain’s 1978 constitution stipulated that regional governments do have the authority to call an independence referendum.
But Barcelona, Catalonia’s capital, saw a massive outpouring of support for independence on Monday when Catalans marked their national day, the Diada, with marches and rallies.
One big banner at the rally carried the words: “Goodbye Spain”. While opinion polls show that Catalans are evenly divided on independence, over 70 percent have said that they want a referendum.
Voters from the wealthy region believe they pay more in taxes than they receive in investments and transfers from Madrid. Catalonia is roughly the size of Belgium and accounts for about one-fifth of Spain’s economic output.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
The Ursula von der Leyen Affair
After a criminal complaint in Belgium against the President of the European Commission, the so-called SMS-case, now takes a new turn. The judge responsible for the investigation will likely gain access to the secret messages exchanged between Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, at least if they haven't been deleted.
Publisher of Unique Literature Worldwide Blocked by International Distributor
Arktos has distinguished itself by publishing groundbreaking philosophers and social critics. Now, the publisher's international distributor has abruptly terminated the cooperation, and more than 400 already printed titles cannot reach their audience. There is strong evidence that the distributor has been under pressure, something that has also happened in Sweden. We have spoken with Arktos founder Daniel Friberg about the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech in a shrinking cultural corridor.
Care prompts bishops to criticize transgender ideology
The Catholic bishops of the Scandinavian countries presented an open five-page letter criticizing transgender ideology on March 21, just before Easter. The document primarily expresses care and advice and was read aloud in Catholic churches in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the signatories of the document.