BRITISH expatriates in Almeria have responded with concern as to the on-going political tension in the Catalonia.
James Carmichael, an expatriate businessman in the province, called the situation a “shambles” but blamed the Catalans for stoking the response from Madrid with the illegal referendum.
“They had no choice, you know? It was against the law, and you can’t have an opt-in for some. The Brits got it right – whatever you think of the 2016 Brexit referendum, it was fair and square, like it or loathe it.”
Over the weekend more than 850 Catalans were injured when trying to vote in a referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain. The Madrid Government launched a violent crackdown in a response bid to stop the vote. Ten police officers were also injured.
Although the vote was non-sanctioned by the Spanish state, many expatriates are also denouncing the use of extreme violence by Spanish authorities against their own civilian population.
Sebastian Marshall called out the behaviour of both sides, comparing the situation to the Scottish referendum in 2014.
“I wanted Scotland to be independent. We lost. But the vote was held legally and in a way that, even if we’d won, no one could refute. I reckon the Catalans have done more harm to their cause because it wasn’t done in a fair way to the rest of Spain.”
Another Briton, who asked not to be named, remarked that it’s a mess. The Spanish are behaving in a way not seen since Franco.”
