The ANC tries to boycott the king's visit by throwing rubber bullets at him
Security forces secure Las Ramblas and prevent the king from even smelling the action of the pro-independence entity
BarcelonaThe delivery of the Princess of Girona awards, by the monarchical foundation of the same name, entails the presence in Catalonia of the king, the princess, and the infanta. And when Felipe VI arrived this Tuesday in front of the Liceu – because he is banned in Girona – the ANC's action to try to boycott the head of state's visit took place: a group of about a hundred activists, camouflaged by a mass of umbrellas in the style of the Roman Empire's tortoise formation, threw rubber balls at him, but they did not reach their target by many meters and the monarch did not even notice. A banner with the king upside down could be seen on the building opposite the Liceu.
Due to the police perimeter of fences, the independentist entity carried out its protest action from tens of meters away, which intended to demonstrate the country's rejection of the Crown and the Bourbon family. The gesture intended was to recall the rubber balls that the police fired in the anti-repression protests after the sentence of October 1st. To protect themselves from the Bourbon "plague," the demonstrators also wore masks on their faces, which left a large part of their faces covered.
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When the Kings of Spain come to Catalonia, pro-independence entities usually prepare a reception for them to show them that they are not welcome in the Principality. In the post-Process, however, attendance at sovereignist or anti-monarchist protests has fallen drastically: this Tuesday there were only about a hundred attendees. However, the Principality continues to be hostile territory for the Spanish monarchy, which calculates its every move to the millimeter. In fact, the king entered the Liceu like lightning amid a strong police presence that left La Rambla empty. "I haven't seen La Rambla so empty since the attacks and the pandemic," a lifelong resident assured this newspaper. Last year, the police presence was nothing like this, and the fences were a few meters from the Liceu, recall several people present at the mobilization. Instead, this year, it reached the street of La Boqueria.
Only 25% of Catalans approve of the monarchy, according to the latest CEO barometer, in an eminently republican country. This year marks nine years since Felipe VI was declared persona non grata by the Girona City Council, where the foundation's awards have not been presented again.