page_title: Trial of Catalonia independence leaders
section_title: Protests
hierarchical_section_title: Trial of Catalonia independence leaders / Reaction / Post-trial / Protests
caption_attribution_description: Kataluniako Generalitat eta prozesu subiranistako buruzagien kontrako epaiengatik egindako manifestazioa Donostian, Euskal Herria
context_page_description: The trial of Catalonia independence leaders, legally named Causa Especial 20907/2017 and popularly known as the Causa del procés, was an oral trial that began on 12 February 2019 in the Supreme Court of Spain. The case was tried by seven judges and was chaired by judge Manuel Marchena. Judge Pablo Llarena had previously coordinated an instruction between October 2017 and July 2018, as a result of which 12 people were tried, including the previous vice president Oriol Junqueras of the regional government and most of the cabinet as well as political activists Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart and the former Speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia Carme Forcadell. Some defendants remained in pre-trial detention without bail from the beginning of the instruction process and have thus already served part of their sentence.
context_section_description: As soon as the verdict was made public, large crowds of protesters gathered at Barcelona-El Prat Airport following instructions by various pro-independence associations. The protest caused 108 flights to be canceled. National and regional police charged against the demonstrators to disperse the crowds blocking the access to the airport. Some of them threw rocks, cans and used fire extinguishers. Police responded with anti-riot tactics including using batons and foam bullets. 131 protesters and 40 police officers (34 from the Mossos d'Esquadra and 6 from the national police) were injured as a result of the clashes at the airport and elsewhere on that day.
  Protests also sparked in multiple places across Catalonia. There were also police charges at the Via Laietana in downtown Barcelona after demonstrators gathered at the national police headquarters, started throwing various objects at the agents who were guarding it. Protesters also blocked various roads across Catalonia as well as part of the train infrastructure and some metro stations. Protesters demanded freedom for the prisoners shouting "This is not justice, this is revenge". The transportation shutdown tactics have been described as inspired by or similar to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. El País reported that the leaderless group Democratic Tsunami started the airport protest, with one of its members shouting "we're going to do a Hong Kong" in Catalunya Square before the airport shutdown.
  The protests continued into a second day, with groups of demonstrators in towns and cities across Catalonia. Though they started peacefully, some protestors began throwing small items at the police, with some in Barcelona setting fire to public litter bins. The regional government said that violence was limited, and performed by "small groups [that] infiltrated" the peaceful protests. Protestors also remained at the airport, cancelling another 40 flights. More protests were organised for the rest of the week, leading up to a regional strike organised by trade unions on the Friday.
caption: Basque solidarity with the Catalan leaders and referendum in Donostia (San Sebastián) on 19 October
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