2019 Catalan Protests

On October 14, 2019, nine Catalan separatist leaders were jailed for periods of between nine and thirteen years for charges of sedition. Oriol Junqueras, former Vice-President of 

Catalonia, received 13 years, and cultural leaders Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez each received 9 years [Al Jazeera, 2019; BBC, 2019; Jones, 2019]. Other leaders remain in exile despite warrants for their arrest. This action set off a continuing wave of violent and non-violent protests throughout Catalonia. Hundreds of thousands of individuals took to the streets for several days, and in some of the violent protests, hundreds of protesters and officers were injured in the first week. Throughout the rest of the year, protests were staged against the ruling, such as the occupation of Barcelona El Prat airport, and during the El Clásico, the name given to football matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid [BBC, 2019; Faus, 2019]. Thousands held up banners in support of Catalonia during the game, and many thousands more gathered outside the stadium to protest for the release of the separatists. All nine leaders were pardoned on 22^nd June, 2021 in an attempt to reduce tensions [BBC, 2021].