Massive protests in Spain against the amnesty proposed by the socialist government.
The socialist party, which secured the second-largest number of votes in the recent elections, has finalized an accord with separatist groups to ensure their support in the upcoming investiture vote. This agreement includes a disputed amnesty law that has been criticized by legal experts as unconstitutional.
In 2017, catalan separatists held an illegal referendum resulting in a sharp political crisis in Spain. The central figures who orchestrated the coup and remained in Spain were sentenced to prison, while Carles Puigdemont, the ringleader of the secessionist movement, fled the country, avoiding arrest.
In a controversial political maneuver, Pedro Sánchez, the Socialist Party candidate lacking a parliamentary majority, struck a deal with the absconded Puigdemont. The agreement ensures Puigdemont will evade prosecution in exchange for supporting Sánchez's bid for the presidency. The Socialist Party has introduced an amnesty proposal that would pardon the separatist leaders, which is a political exchange to secure Sánchez's position as Spain's president.
It was a very poorly done referendum with many people voting multiple times and others not voting because they didn't recognize their validity.
Putting aside the fact that Catalonia independence is Brexit levels of stupid, It has been used by their politicians to blackmail the government for more funding. Catalonia is a rich and privileged region compared to the rest of Spain.
The amnesty will also cancel debt of all autonous communities of Spain, which disproportionately benefits Catalonia, the community with more debt.
Many protesters are fascist POS, but this time they are right (for the wrong reasons).
It doesn't matter why they want to leave, short of preserving slavery anyways.
It matters that Spain persecuted them for organizing a vote on it.
Public money does matter though. I'm fine with Catalan people having their own culture, in fact i'd prefer Spain to be more decentralized, but anyone thinking this is about culture and not about money is not paying attention.
Things can have more than one motivation, and you either believe in democratic principles of self determination or you don't.
With the threat of the return of Spanish fascism in Vox, I don't blame anyone for wanting to bounce, and if there's a region that has been burned for trusting their "countrymen" it's Catalonia.