Today, the village of Coripe in Andalusia has burnt and shot an effigy of Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. The president in exile himself wrote a tweet in English denouncing the event:
Today in a Spanish town they have decided to shoot and burn a effigy that represented my person wearing a yellow ribbon. They wanted to make mockery of the struggle for the freedom of political prisoners and exiles. This is the video...https://t.co/GgcqPqH99r
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
He also wrote a longer thread in Catalan on the matter in which he said he normally respects freedom of speech, but that this went too far. He characterised it as attacking not just him, but the larger independence movement, and criticised PSOE, which controls the town council in Coripe, for what he says is their role:
Avui en un poble d’Espanya, governat pel PSOE, han decidit afusellar i cremar un ninot que representava la meva persona, i que portava un llaç groc ben visible. No m’han volgut afusellar i cremar a mi, només: han volgut mofar-se de la lluita per la llibertat de presos i exiliats.
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
Translation: Today, in a village in Spain governed by PSOE, they've decided to shoot and burn an effigy which represented my person and which wore a highly visible yellow ribbon. They didn't only want to shoot and burn me: they wanted to mock the fight for the freedom of the prisoners and exiles.
No ha estat cap anècdota ni obra d’una minoria. Ha estat una activitat oficial, emparada per les autoritats socialistes locals. S’ha fet servir, fins i tot, munició real amb la participació de la policia local.
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
This wasn't an anecdote, or the work of a minority. It was an official activity, protected by the local PSOE authorities. They even used real ammunition with the participation of the local police.
Normalment tinc tendència a respectar les mostres d’ironia i sarcasme que s’han anat produint arreu de l’Estat perquè formen part de la llibertat d’expressió. Aquesta, a diferència de les altres, no la puc respectar, per dignitat personal i per decència democràtica.
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
I normally tend to respect the demonstrations of irony and sarcasm which have occurred around the [Spanish] state because they form part of freedom of expression. This, unlike the others, I cannot respect, for personal dignity and for democratic decency.
És un missatge d’odi, amb tota la voluntat de generar odi. És un acte en què participen menors, que han assistit com a una cosa normal a l’orgia de violència desfermada contra el que represento. És un acte indigne, impropi de cap societat civilitzada.
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
It's a message of hate, with full will to generate hatred. It's an event which minors take part in, who have attended the orgy of violence unleashed against what I represent as if it were something normal. It's a shameful act, inappropriate in any civilised society.
El meu compromís és la independència, la democràcia, la llibertat. Cap d’aquests compromisos no mereix un afusellament ni una crema, almenys en una societat civilitzada. Lamento molt que el @PSOE participi d’un acte d’odi tan visceral i inhumà. @miqueliceta @meritxell_batet
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
My commitment is to independence, democracy, freedom. None of these commitments deserves being shot or burnt for, at least in a civilised society. I greatly regret that PSOE should take part in such a visceral and inhuman act of hatred.
L'Espanya del 155 i del "a por ellos" ha engendrat aquesta actitud. En són directament responsables els seus promoters i avaladors. Com ho són de la deteriorada imatge d'Espanya. #LlibertatPresosPoliticsiexiliats #FreeTothom @JuntsXCat
— Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) 21 d’abril de 2019
The Spain of 155 and the "go get them" has engendered this attitude. Their promoters and backers are directly responsible for it. As they are for Spain's deteriorated image.