I happen to live in Barcelona, Spain.
On last sunday, this is what happened;
-the local policitical d-heads had an illegal sedition vote attended by 2.2 M people..
--29% of the popula voted. Yes.
A lot of the votes were falsified, and there was no real option of voting "no".
In my city, 1500 people live in our district.
15.000 votes were cast.
-- The madrid political d-heads sent stromtroopers to break heads, arms, fingers.
About 4000 - 10.000 brutal political attack troops from madrid, guardia civial specialists, stormed about 90-300 voting stations .. filmed by dozens of independent TV stations and million plus private citizens.
900 people were hurt and hospitalised, and 10.000+ beaten up with batons etc.
In about 2000+ voting stations, totally non-violent, no banks / businesses were vandalised and no cars burned etc. on a 2.2 M person turnout.
But the thugs on orders from Madrid fired rubber bullets into crowds who were *not* vandalising anythings - and only wanted to shout and vote.
*Both* political sides screwed the pooch 100%.
So .. polarisation is bad for all.
2 days later .. tuesday, whole country was on general strike and roads impassable, business closed, ports closed.
Today, biggest bank in the EU sabadell will be leaving barcelona.
So will la caixa, 200.000+ jobs, biggest in spain.
Everyone screwed up - by playing up to the populists.
D-heads.
BTW..
The firemen and local paramilitary police Mossos (normally tough-guys and not liked, but feared) did a fantastic job.
The firemen acted as shields, the Mossos refused to charge peaceful crowds, and the mossos probably saved 200+ lives and 5000+ broken bodies.
They were the only ones protecting lives, serving, and acting rationally and humanely.
The Mossos are under indictment and their boss is now today on trial in Madrid, for not charging peaceful crowds with violent means.