CUP had already left, other delegates were on their way out, some were shouting, one had his microphone turned off and was eventually expelled. That's how the general policy debate in the Catalan Parliament starting the political year ended today after the chamber heard the news that seven Catalan activists arrested on Monday had been denied bail. Spokespeople from JxCat and ERC had called for an emergency meeting of the Parliament's Board of Spokespeople to discuss the matter, whilst some of their parties' delegates protested the decision by a judge in Madrid with applause and shouts of "freedom".
The debate, which started yesterday, had already concluded and the delegates were working their way through the day's votes, which included measures like the banning of correbous bull runs and a call for the Civil Guard to withdraw from Catalonia. CUP were the first to react when the news arrived from Madrid, calling for the session to be suspended and the Board of Spokespeople to meet. The Parliament's speaker, Roger Torrent, proposed they first finish the votes; unhappy with this, CUP left the chamber. Sawla El Garbhi (JxCat) also stopped voting at that point.
After voting
After the votes had been concluded, spokespeople Gemma Geis (JxCat) and Sergi Sabrià (ERC) also called for the Board of Spokespeople to meet. "With the most profound rejection of violence, in order to denounce the violence, the forms, the application of the anti-terror law," Sabrià started his explanation. He noted it was the same court that first sent pro-independence civil and political leaders into provisional detention in 2017 as JxCat and ERC members broke out in applause and shouts of "freedom".
From his seat, the head of Cs in the Parliament, Carles Carrizosa, asked what the basis was for calling a meeting of the Board of Spokespeople, after the debate and voting had concluded. He described the reaction of the other parties in the chamber "protecting people who have entered prison over alleged events as incredibly serious as attacking against the coexistence of all Catalans" as an "immense disgrace": "We feel threatened by those who support terrorism."
Torrent announced that the session was over, so the members of ERC and JxCat, including president Quim Torra and his government, started to leave the hemicircle. Carrizosa continued shouting, with his microphone turned off, joined in his protest by members of PSC and PP asking for the right to speak.
Miquel Iceta (PSC) said that his group had no problem with a meeting of the Board of Spokespeople, but warned that the chamber "should avoid at all times entering a collision course with other powers". He also called for "serenity and the rules and institutional order". Alejandro Rodríguez (PP) criticised Torrent for not cutting off independence supporters in the way he said he was cutting off the opposition and defended the Civil Guard and Spanish justice system: "Spain is one of the world's great democracies with a great justice system." The spokesperson for En Comú said that, regardless of procedure, the situation was serious enough for the Board to meet.
Carrizosa expelled
Meanwhile, Carrizosa's ongoing protests led the speaker to call for order more than once, after which he took the step of expelling the Cs delegate from the chamber. Carrizosa left, followed by all his party colleagues, not before first exchanging words with certain pro-independence delegates still present, accusing them of having first carried out a "coup d'état" and now of supporting terrorism.
Speaking in the Parliament's press room minutes later, again accompanied by his entire parliamentary group, Carrizosa said he felt "threatened, like the majority of the Catalan people", denounced his expulsion from the chamber as a disgrace and warned "we will never falter". He also criticised acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez: "It's intolerable that in the face of a Parliament which encourages terrorists, those who want to set bombs in the Parliament, he should stay silent." "What else has to happen?", he continued, "Does someone have to die for him to take action and revoke the powers of those who are threatening us and protecting the terrorists?"
The declaration
The Board of Spokespeople did end up meeting, with Ciudadanos absent. The representatives of En Comú-Podem and pro-independence parties JxCat, ERC and CUP agreed a statement by the Board in which they "demand the end of the repression and the release of the people persecuted and held for their political ideas".
The text states that the Board "denounces the campaign to criminalise the civil and democratic pro-independence movement, and the attempt to equate the independence movement with terrorism." They are also clear that they "reject violence" and support pursuing "democratic paths to achieve legitimate political objectives".
The meeting began with speaker Torrent expressing his discomfort at the scenes seen minutes earlier in the chamber, calling for delegates to reflect upon how the day's session had ended.