02:35Spain: Int. minister calls out Catalonia leader for 'dragging his feet' in condemning violence
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called on Catalonia Regional President Quim Torra to "explicitly and unambiguously" condemn violent protests, during a press conference in Madrid on Thursday, accusing Torra of "dragging his feet" when addressing the issue.
"What I'd like to tell [Catalonia Regional] President Torra is, first of all, that he explicitly and unambiguously condemn the violence which has been taking place in recent days in Catalonia," Grande-Marlaska said from the podium at the Moncloa palace. "Not in the middle of the night, seemingly cornered and dragging his feet."
Torra called for "calm and serenity" during a speech in the early hours of Thursday morning, blaming the violence on "a group of infiltrators and provocateurs."
The interior minister also announced 97 people have been arrested in the protests in Catalonia since Monday, and 194 police officers were injured.
The protests were sparked by the Spanish Supreme Court convicting 12 independence leaders, including former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, for their role in the autonomous region's attempt to achieve secession and holding an illegal independence referendum. Nine of the pro-independence convicted were given jail sentences ranging from nine to 13 years.
Mandatory credit: Palacio de la Moncloa
02:35Mandatory credit: Palacio de la Moncloa
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska called on Catalonia Regional President Quim Torra to "explicitly and unambiguously" condemn violent protests, during a press conference in Madrid on Thursday, accusing Torra of "dragging his feet" when addressing the issue.
"What I'd like to tell [Catalonia Regional] President Torra is, first of all, that he explicitly and unambiguously condemn the violence which has been taking place in recent days in Catalonia," Grande-Marlaska said from the podium at the Moncloa palace. "Not in the middle of the night, seemingly cornered and dragging his feet."
Torra called for "calm and serenity" during a speech in the early hours of Thursday morning, blaming the violence on "a group of infiltrators and provocateurs."
The interior minister also announced 97 people have been arrested in the protests in Catalonia since Monday, and 194 police officers were injured.
The protests were sparked by the Spanish Supreme Court convicting 12 independence leaders, including former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, for their role in the autonomous region's attempt to achieve secession and holding an illegal independence referendum. Nine of the pro-independence convicted were given jail sentences ranging from nine to 13 years.
Mandatory credit: Palacio de la Moncloa