A Completely ‘Normal Day’ on the Streets of Barcelona

The day after the referendum in Catalonia, during which 844 people were injured, everyday life returned to the streets of Barcelona on Monday, and there are no signs of unrest or possible insecurity for residents and thousands of tourists in northeastern Spain.

On Monday morning, usual traffic jams formed on the city roads, residents went to work, and students returned to classes after the strike on Thursday and Friday.

The Spanish police, which closed polling stations and seized ballot boxes on Sunday, are expected to leave Catalonia during the day, with only those permanently stationed in the province remaining.

– Everything has returned to normal, but an uncomfortable feeling remains, says a waitress at a café next to the train station who has lived in Barcelona for a year. Originally from Venezuela, she said the events on Sunday reminded her of what has been happening in that South American country recently.

>>>Catalan Government: We Have Achieved the Right to Independence

– There were unusually few people on the street, and I thought this café would be closed, she adds. However, hospitality establishments were open on Sunday, and guests watched the events in the province with 7.5 million inhabitants on televisions.

On Monday morning, there were no special police patrols or gatherings on the streets, and the police helicopters that circled over Barcelona on Sunday have also disappeared.

In the city center, numerous foreign tourists stroll and sightsee as if nothing had happened the day before.

In the very center of the city, the Spanish police did not intervene on Sunday after the autonomous Catalan police calmly observed residents standing in line waiting to cast their ballots. However, in other parts of the city, 294 people were injured when the police attempted to clear the way to polling stations with rubber bullets and batons.

Supporters of independence determined to persist

– We did not expect such violence, said fifty-year-old Peio last night after the polling stations closed.

– I usually do not participate in protests and similar events, but what happened, and the emotions with which people insisted on voting prompted me to be here as well, he said, standing together with people who were applauding.

In front of an elementary school located a few hundred meters from the tourist zone, about 300 people sang the Catalan anthem. Many with raised hands and fists.

>>>Charles Michel ‘broke the silence’, condemned the violence in Catalonia

– I am overjoyed that I voted, I have been waiting for this for years, said a 71-year-old woman.

Organizations supporting independence and unions announced a general strike for Tuesday that could lead to traffic disruptions, and services are prepared to operate at a minimum. This is a sign of protest against police action and a message to Madrid that they will persist in their demands.

– There will be no violence, and yesterday the basic idea was passive, peaceful resistance, says a 25-year-old man who was standing at the entrance to the school when four Catalan police officers appeared nearby.

New moves from both sides are expected

The Catalan government announced that 2.26 million voters participated, of which 90 percent voted in favor of creating an independent republic. Supporters of secession went to the referendum, while supporters of remaining in Spain mostly stayed home after the constitutional court and the government in Madrid declared the referendum illegal.

– I am not in favor of independence, says Raquel, an employee at a restaurant near the train station.

– It will not give us more money or houses. Both supporters and opponents continued to do their usual jobs on Monday.

>>>Catalan Ambassador in Zagreb: The referendum is unquestionable, the will of the people is relentless

The President of the Catalan government, Carles Puigdemont, stated that he would send the referendum results to the Catalan parliament, which, according to a recently adopted law, could unilaterally declare independence based on a majority vote. However, before the referendum, Puigdemont said he would be open to dialogue with Madrid and Brussels after the vote, which hinted at a possible postponement of the declaration.

The government in Madrid, on the other hand, claims that the referendum did not even take place, and the Constitutional Court annulled the law of the Catalan parliament. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called on the Catalan government last night to abandon new steps that lead nowhere.

>>>VIDEO: Brutal suppression of the Catalan independence referendum

The vast majority of citizens in Madrid and Barcelona view the current events soberly, and no one is calling for violence. The images from yesterday were a surprise for many.

– In Spain, we are generally not people prone to violence, says 75-year-old Carlos from Valencia, who came to Barcelona for a four-day vacation.

– Protests have been organized here for years, and there have almost never been such images. I do not expect any violence, against anyone.