THE CONTENTIOUS REFERENDUM in Catalonia over the weekend has created plenty of questions.
With the north-eastern region’s government declaring that its people have won the right to independence, and the Spanish government firmly denying the legitimacy of the referendum, the scene has been set for a political drama in Spain the likes of which hasn’t been seen for 40 years.
One thing that appears to have united many international leaders is their condemnation of the actions of Spanish police, who were deployed to prevent the poll from taking place, which in turn led to often-violent clashes with protesters and even the local fire services who stood in a protective cordon around voters to prevent them being reached by riot police.
But neither Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nor its Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney have said anything official regarding the conduct of the Spanish authorities, with Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin, who was present in Catalonia, yesterday saying that Varadkar and Coveney must “publicly condemn this… violence and call on the Spanish government to allow the people of Catalonia to conduct their democratic rights in peace”.
But do you agree?
We’re asking: Should the Irish government criticise the intervention of Spanish police in Catalonia’s referendum?
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