Manifestación..... BIGGER!!

 I won't write much here because you will have seen the pictures and reports on TV and in the press but here is my own take on the manifestación yesterday in Barcelona. I don't understand why there is such disparity in calculating the numbers, I am sure from a high vantage point, it is easy to sample the density of the crowd. All I can say it that there were an awful lot of people who simply want a return to the rule of law and unity with Spain. I wrote another post about a previous manifestación - there is a picture of me draped in the Catalan flag - but the flag of Spain was much more in evidence this time. And the number of people was bigger.
These are pictures of the Girona contingent. We were waiting for the buses to arrive at 9.15am. We occupied 3 coaches. On the way to Barcelona we chatted and sang songs, it was lots of fun - a festive atmosphere. The possible train crash the following day (which is when I am writing this) forgotten for the moment.

Look at the flags in the cars!

This was walking from the bus to Passeig de Gracia which is where we started. Then I began to see how many people there were!

 During our slow progress down Passeig de Gracia towards Placa de Catalunya, we cheered at people waving flags from the buildings. "La Senyera es bonita".

We cheered the Spanish police helicopters, "Eso es... nuestra policia!" At one stage there were four helicopters, the other two for TV I guess. At one stage the two police helicopters came straight up Passeig de Gracia together and then peeled off above us. Don't try to tell me they were just watching the crowd! It was as if they were joining in. I cannot tell you how moving this is, our own police force, protecting us. I feel Catalan now having lived here for 14 years but it is still Spain.

I am a little bashful about admitting that I joined in, "Puigdemont a prisón", but I didn't mean it, I would not like to see that. The main message that people were saying was, "Ara votarem" (now we will vote - in Catalan) referring to elections on 21st December.

I thought that maybe there would be a rally in Plaça de Catalunya which is at the bottom of Passeig de Gracia but we stopped one block short of that - where you see the large flag. To get to the speeches, one had to go around the flag but it took a little while for me to realise that, so I didn't hear any speeches. There were just so many people around, it was amazing! The weather was very kind to us, it was hot in the sun although it is late October. That is Spain for you!
 

Then, after the speeches there was music and many of us spilled out into Plaça de Catalunya, some like me sitting down to eat.

The buses were due to leave at 4pm so that left over an hour to enjoy the sun. I walked down to the Rambla but put my flag away, it was in my hand. I had a tea in Viena which is an up-market fast food restaurant. I felt slightly uncomfortable with a small group with flags in la Rambla chanting slogans. The demo was over, and I felt that there was a risk of altercations because, when it is like that, it can be reduced to a personal level. And then it gets filmed for TV. It is so stupid because it is representive of a small minority of idiots. If there are arguments, that is how it happens, not in the main demo which was totally peaceful and joyous.

It was a super day. This was my "vote". I don't have a vote in parliamentary elections. I still have a vote in the UK, not that it interests me very much. I voted in the Brexit referendum, I will let you guess how I voted! If Catalunya achieves independence, I will be leaving the EU twice over! But I don't see it happening. I will write more today but meantime, I'm going to have my breakfast and publish this online! I hope you enjoy reading it!