The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
November 9, 2017

Spain Says It Might Allow Independence Referendum as Catalan Protests Rage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spain's government said Wednesday it will consider constitutional
changes that would allow for regional governments to hold referendums on
independence, like the banned vote on October 1 that sparked a political
crisis in Spain's Catalonia region. The apparent olive branch came as
pro-independence activists called a general strike Wednesday. In
Barcelona, riot police arrested students who stormed a train station and
shut down high-speed rail service. Police also removed demonstrators who
blockaded roads and highways across the city. This is Adriana, a
Barcelona student who said the protesters are demanding the release of
Catalan political leaders who've been arrested on charges of rebellion
and sedition.

Adriana: "In order to break with the picture of normalcy, as if nothing
was happening here, to demand the freedom of the political prisoners and
to keep on taking the streets, because the republic which has been
declared needs to be defended, we need to stay organized and keep
demonstrating."



.