One of the many protests seen today around Catalonia in response to yesterday's sentences in the Catalan independence trial blocked the A-7 motorway near Tarragona. Video shared online shows how one of the drivers held up by the demonstration accelerated towards those blocking his way, barely slowing down as they scrambled to get out of the way.
Acaben d'intentar atropellar la gent que ara mateix talla l'A-7 a l'alçada de Tarragona. Hi distingiu la matrícula?pic.twitter.com/jfOl6HbKgb
— Sergi Pinkman (@sergipinkman) October 15, 2019
The protest involved around 60 people, the majority of whom were students, and lasted about 25 minutes. Although they only blocked the north-bound carriageway, Mossos Catalan police ended up closing the road to southbound traffic too. Police got to the scene quickly after a patrol car spotted the action shortly before 3:45pm.
This isn't the only such incident to have occurred during the protests of the last 36 hours. Yesterday, as people walked towards Barcelona-El Prat airport, a motorcyclist drove along the same road through the walkers at some speed.
Un motorista intenta atropellar manifestants que caminen per gran via direcció aeroport! Vigileu! @jordiborras @albertmartnez @HiginiaRoig pic.twitter.com/BLOr0z7rzl
— SONNYBOY 🏳️🌈🔻🐞💃🏾🎬#NoDayButtoday (@celmi909) October 14, 2019
In Banyoles, a small town in the north of Catalonia, meanwhile, video shows a white van pushing along a protester right on its front bumper.
Atropellament a Banyoles a la concertació a la pl dels Països Catalans. Per part de qui es la violencia? #SentenciaDelProces #Tsunamidemocratic #ULTIMAHORA pic.twitter.com/I70ID9uKBS
— RTCharles 🎗II*II🎗 (@minairo13) October 14, 2019