agreed to let sweden join united. if the european union resumes excess stolz membership total of anchor serrado is in with you right now, which is hosting being native alliances. i know somebody is going for a she will have a mobile news in the top of the hour coming up next on dw, how to push the independence from spain is defining the catalonia us on the close. so in just a good the i sorry, so one on 6 times to please come and see more people than ever on the move worldwide in such an one great timing question. it's very hard to say very difficult john find out

about time on story info. my grands castle loony of his phone to the city of barcelona spectacular peer in these mountains and the beaches of the costa bravo. the region in northeast in spain is of vacation paradise, the deed so so a place of proud history and tradition, the spot of the lines of picturesque signs conflict to simmering many catalan's wants the region to become independence .

the in 2017 catalans held a referendum on independence from spain. the spanish government tried to prevent it at all costs ever since then. tensions have been running high. catalonia will never be its own country. the region is deeply divided around half the population. don't think independence is a good idea and it wasn't going to say that you can't impose independence with only 50 percent approval. it'd be a disaster. spain's government prevented independence in 2017, including by using force. yes, and those are better than that, and we can never forgive them. and like how could it come to that mix for testimonial. the

every to use the old booth financing and rena integra go now plays close to the biggest competition of cash deals for human towns. both financing is banned in catalonia. now the stadium celebrates the regions traditional schools. side i have 2 boys to to jot to is a strong support for of independence. she and her girlfriends have travel here from the city of rose to take part in the events we used for the 1st time with the tower builders from sales. we proud about team b that then by defense to coming on. that's kind of for them hospitality for you. i'll be helping to build the foundation. i don't know how, but i'll do it. compare citizens big changes seeing if a triumphant and prosperous catalonia, the official lands,

and the vsl tournaments region during the fascist dictatorship. under general frank code, the song was outlook for almost 40 years until 1975. that struggle for recognition resonates each time its sung. the push for independence has grown out of the conviction that kaplan's have been fighting in vain for the freedom. for centuries, the many are united by the feeling that they oppose to be spanish against the will at events like these. finally, katelyn spoken, the language plays a major role in the sales team. each of these would be nation. the,

even the speech they come to play is charged with political significance. the human towers, which can only grow in teammates worked together symbolically powerful competitors, and the coverage is they bind to create the tool as a panel on the best teams can create up to 10 levels of human architecture. the this particular castille competition is taking place on a significant date. it's the 1st of october 2020 to exactly 5 years off to the referendum that support is fail. so nearly so 2 of them independence

back is in a castle, a nation seen within reach the . ready in 2017 the castle and regional governments took a risky gamble. it scheduled the referendum to let the people decide whether they wanted to leave spain. the madrid's reaction was swift labeling the referendum is unconstitutional and sending police to prevent the voting from taking place across spain. supporters of national unity cold for a cracked town on the independence movements the the police used fools to keep motors away from folding stations. monta ro, c k is spain's youngest, low. macon and

a student separatist. she's been functioning for capital and independent since childhood. the . so the, the referendum brings up painful memories. valencia and they got that. this was violence committed against the other lines and against democracy. it was also class violence, isn't this in human violence on that i was in, they treated us as if we were being violence. i went on, we wanted to do was vote in yes and we can't possibly forgive them for that. the m, i have to this day, the government claims and we were violent to a business to them. violence means wanting to go and vote antibodies. meanwhile, they think they'd send their police with the tons to put down on demonstrations, isn't violent, that it doesn't make any sense. then they got some big,

the slight latrice of physicians, the council and government when to have about 90 percent of both resulted to secede from spain. the result was skewed because there was virtually no participation from opponents of independence. opinion suggested that only positive capital ends were in favor of a separate states even so cavaloni is regional president colors preached amount declared independence. because he didn't, the, was natalie that the summation was president of catalonia, here by announced the result of the referendum to you and to our citizens. that ends with the mandate of the people who catalonia will become an independent republic. but just seconds later, the applause still allowing me to go back to the government and i propose that parliament suspend the consequences of this declaration of independence and then then begin i me to use in dialogue next week

and putting them without which there can be no conciliatory solution instead of pushing ahead to cancel and government closed for dialogue. the response was anything but conciliatory. the spanish government in prisons, katelyn politicians and activists, and imposed direct through on the autonomous region. tweets demona slit the country the the city of boston, luna is a tourist magnet t northeast in spain. among the luxury yachts and a high rise hotels. a small fishing industry still exists. august the romeo bronco and david o. b, o catalog were once odd and supporters of the independents movements in the beginning and we took part in all the demonstrations on the 11th of september.

catalonia is national holiday. the again, we were always their heart and soul familiar. we took our families sing along, did everything you'd expect to go to? i don't know. of course we were always peaceful here. every year on the 11th of september, we were out on the streets demonstrating go . steve romeo, polanko is especially disappointed that the cadillac government. so quickly withdrew the independent stickler ration in 2017 like many capital lands. he feels the trade by the regions political leaders, the politicians back down. no, i don't know if it was out of cowardice or because they had a sense of what was coming good babies,

but they must have known beforehand if they were going to be punished. when i, they'd already gone so far that kind of the people were celebrating in the streets to see that they should have gone through with it. and the consequences would have been the same. they would have been punished, but at least the people would have been given something to keep the illusion going . yes will, for it is of it that they would have felt that they had succeeded. the fact that the politicians just gave up as wide many people walked away, disappointed. catalonia arisen among spain's most economically strong regions, contributing a feat that they can only count. that sled st purchased to believe that the region would be better off on its own body and soul. so while in catalonia is so vital to spain, it seems implausible, but madrid would ever ground independence to the catalans.

spain will never allow us to be in favor of independence. they won't even let us hold a referendum because the results still scares them. they'll argue that support for independence has dropped in the polls. but they'll still be afraid of a referendum. the motto ro, c k is on her way to test as you come to your own in spanish, 200 kilometers south west of bounce, alona the the city using the valencia region outside. cavaloni is political board is despite the base capital and is also spoken to you. in fact, it's been an official language for years. rosie k has come to a demonstration in favor of preserving the language. under the dictates of frank

speaking, katelyn in public was forbidden. even place names and other proper nouns were translated into spanish. but since 1979 catalogs has been recognized as an official language. once again, separate is defined a would be nation by its linguistic food is. that means they also lay claim to valencia and the valley, eric islands, when capital and dialects has spoken. and we have been coming together to demonstrate this sort of part, and it shows that the costs were defending, isn't the cause of just a few people. and then we can achieve something if we organized the with regular demonstrations activists trying to keep the dream of an independent capital lonia aligned. the

people claim the independence movement is the windows. but you can't quite say that looking at what we see here in custody. you it's often harder to get people here excited about the cause as opposed to inverse alone or places like you don't know. 2 is this going independence activists also get support from outside the region from cattle and politicians, living in exile. the satera dupel east towards the china has come to friends to meet with katelyn ex president. colors preach the moment. who leads the next island?

belgian for the activist peach to monty's the legitimate president of a free catalonia, she still has faith in him and his views on independence, the persistence of her life. the movement comes from below and we have to maintain that that's one of its strength and it makes us resilience. we've had 5 last 2 years without democracy during which we face state repression and ceaseless attacks. we mean, we wouldn't have survived that if we weren't a grassroots civic movement based on free will and popular engagements. so from what, i'm very grateful to the president on a part of the event for me. he's the president we should have today. i don't know

if i'll ever see a free it has a no need of myself, but i'll keep sizing until the end non stop. if things don't clean out. but the whole people in catalonia, you'll see it that way. about the cost of them wants to remain punch in spain. the it's the 12th of october, the spain's national holiday in the middle of the capital and capital barcelona people with spanish flags through the streets among the catalans who clearly oppose independence. many of the band is being carried those at the right wing populace deposits vaults. since the parties founding in 2013, it's made the most of calculated independence. an ideal issue for the national risk

to rail against the votes is the 3rd largest coffee in spanish parliament. even in catalonia executed nearly 8 percent of the voting regional elections. fun yeah. testimonial will never become its own country. not live spain, the opponents of independence, unc just demonstrating phone, catalonia streets and squares. they're also taking masses into their own hands. this is tanika, 130 kilometers west of fonts alone. under cover of darkness and t independents active as serial, and the move, the, they call themselves cleaning brigades. the,

the s to a lot of the capital in independence, flags is ubiquitous around many towns and villages. they want to change this. i mean the assessor was the cleaning, the gates are groups of set as soon as i move up their own for you will have decided to come together and clean up all public spaces. most of the we don't hang symbols of our idea all legit. didn't work today, we don't try to impose or ideology on anyone else. but it's true that we're trying to clean up public places like school buildings, that playgrounds in the city halls, land posts and so on. me and thoughts hard or less the a particularly in the countryside. separatism has strong support around here. opponents of independence can expect to be greeted with hostility. walk a moment,

the grip of when we come up to the balconies are of a car drives by. they might consult us or throw things at us or trying to attack us . that's happened a couple of times. like i used to think it's a street has to be democratic. it has to belong to everyone. everyone's free to display whatever symbols they want in their house, but the public streets. so it should be free of that. in fact, the flag with the white star has been banned in public places since 2018. but in many places it remains hanging in protest against spain when the festival that when the illegal vote took place on october, the 1st of 2017, i realized that i couldn't sit on the sofa and watch them take my country away. they wanted to create a division that didn't exist. so i told myself i had to do something. i asked friends, hey, what can we do to stop these crazy people? the

one in the square by the town who the police are waiting. but that doesn't to, to the activists that they want to remove the independence flag from the town homes balcony. they feel like they're in the right above. the police stopped them. like stays on the town hall. going to take that sofa. you know, you're not listening to me about the status of the. needless to say it's an independent flag and the supreme court has clearly said that this flag is a political symbol just like the yellow ribbon. not even the city hall is a public facility that we all pay for it, though it's not allowed to carry political symbolism, but the, the police take the details box. the activists don't face serious consequences. the self proclaimed cleaning brigade since its mission was successful

. he took down most of the independence flags in the village. the v scripts leader is p last study in those in a secret location outside bonsa. lona, she receives the spoils of the night's mission. this is one of dozens of warehouses across catalonia, with, for the last 5 years, opponents of independence, but still will be objects. they seize, flags, ribbons, and signs, claiming places to be part of the nonexistent katelyn republic. put in the system, the difference between them and is that we have to act as secret at night. whereas they put the flags back up with the help of the city council and public money. the end of the lot, very in those 1st joined the brigade because she didn't want to bound to pressure from the separatists. you don't know,

it was sure harassment you had to agree completely with their ideas. you were forced to become more and more committed to independence, or the yellow scarf here, yellow under pencil, their yellow socks, and on and on it. i don't like anything yellow anymore. and it used to be my favorite color. i don't know how many around go out there and then they said to me that i didn't understand that it was a matter of feeling. but you can govern a state with feelings whether or not, and we need a clear legal system or feelings. and what if i feel differently tomorrow, the feelings? what rubbish on the congress continues that some of you until 20 mean don't know every opponent of being dependencies on the political rights thought the separatist movement has proved defined deal. bogeyman sustains far right. politicians. there exploding the issue for their own and in mid treat

the 20th of november, the fascist fell on hate tennessee monks the end of the 3 of the depth of its bound to fall on hey was the only policy during franco's dictatorship these days. it's small and hasn't had a look toral success boss. it's still legal and allowed to hold public gatherings. today we commemorate our founder jose antonio playing with the van on the 1st anniversary of his assassination. he said that our electrics were good as the 1st means of communication. but that when justice and the fatherland were in danger, there was no argumentation except that a fist in pistols. every decent spanish person should be against all the separate discomfort. i want to destroy spain, secret, national unity recently, the government in mid trade has been reaching out to capital ends. i'll send you a little bit. could see separatist leaders guessing length of sentences,

but that's outraged. the right, well the separate to say it doesn't go far enough. they are insisting on a referendum i made these heated debates about the future of catalonia motor and voice as risk. getting drowned down here in boston, lona office towed on ventura. ruiz is beginning his day i, as i said, as soon as i moved to barcelona as a student, us and it was a time when my whole world opened up at that time of freedom of meeting new people end up studying at university in the us and uh, let's do this. oh, don't ventura. ruiz leads in public sick, a former working class neighborhood in the center of the city. okay. i have a lot. uh, lots of different people live here. young. many of them are locals, young ones that there are also lots of democrats. yeah. when i'm getting them and then do so. you might see a separate his flag on the 2nd floor and

a spanish flag on the 3rd floor. i think the people co exist here and they know how to get along with each other. so i'm guessing, i don't know. do you identify strongly is capital in the divisiveness and he's homeland worries him. but i mean, by the same law for me in the day independence was unilaterally declared, was a painful thing. but yeah, i could see that things were moving more and more quickly in a direction that would only cause the problem is. that's the problem. i know separatists derisively refer to people like ventura as a key, dis dentist, people without a position. i think it was a difficult time, especially for people like me for neither for nor against independence. why no, no. okay i'm. i didn't think it was the right time or the right and that that's part of last. nobody explained to us what it would mean to be independent then say i the castle in leadership never formulated a concrete plan for

a pos to independence or for capital loony is economic or political future for supporters of independence. vague promises of freedom were enough. unique of 78. uh the only thing we knew for sure was that there would be an economic price to say that i'm not sure. and the truth is that people of my generations had already been through a lot of crises and the, the, the so i felt that it was time to focus on other things. and we'll buy at a time when europe has done away with its borders. and i'm wondering when we all have the same currency, is that the moment to create smaller, closed off territories and that has an experience. and yeah, it was, that doesn't mean we don't have to fight for our identity. our language and our traditions. i don't know. i don't know. no, sir, i have been that channel, but i mean for me, the issue of independence was never really important to think on. it was,

but for others, it wasn't ex, essential needs because it's in their blood taken came for the us. they don't want to be part of spain. they can't be part of spain. yeah. well that's the root of the problem. but i guess as these people don't understand that catalonia is as much mine as theirs. we live, they have to convince me as someone who's between the yes and the no, let me see, let me see. let's see if the majority votes for independence, then i'll fight for you. i mean, i'll help to achieve it. the problem is that it won't be that easy. you can't achieve independence if you only have the support of 50 percent of the population that i thought that would be a disaster until i get and said on this house, the summer solstice. init, tyranny's mountains. boat on ventura release has come back so he's fine village to sell range in mountains and communities. the sole source is celebrated with the

nights of file. the tradition dates back to pagan times. when people believed the fire would drive away demons. under franco, the ritual was banned and like so many other cattle and traditions disappeared, the corners of abuse because they are running down the categories. i've known that since childhood was not my early childhood. for a long time, it was lost as we couldn't do it. it was forbidden that you'd never been out loud, but it's come back and today it's spectacular. we expect that the odom ventura release, the 9th is also about the hope for reconciliation, savings, but on yes, i do have hope, and i hope the condo lawn society will understand that whatever we want to achieve,

we can only do it together and enjoy the in this region of rich history and tradition, the future hangs in the balance. bridging the divide between those who support those who oppose independence is a major challenge. one that will have huge implications, both for capital lonia and all explain the, the,

the i'm tool as a comedian. impact is tom. it's difficult to say what she actually wants to say. it just makes me frustrated. that's the idea. so close minded and this opens over this i'm today's into.