The EU-Catalonia Dialogue Platform, a group of MEPs from different parts of the political spectrum, has today called for an amnesty for the Catalan prisoners, for dialogue between Spain and Catalonia and for the EU to not "remain silent" over the issue.
One of the members said they believe the "use of force by police against protesters [in Catalonia] is disproportionate". "The pro-independence movement has always been peaceful", they said, adding: "we are worried about the context of growing tension."
And the platform had a warning it wanted to give: "If they stay silent, the European institutions won't have the authority to judge questions of human rights, democracy and the rule of law elsewhere in the world."
Matt Carthy MEP: “The EU has refused to take its role seriously ... we have witnessed scenes that are akin to a police state in the streets of Barcelona”.#catalonia #sentenciaprocés #democràcia #tsunamidemocractic #LlibertatPresosPolítics #Freetothom #NiOblitNiPerdó #catalunya pic.twitter.com/oR4RmLkNJ3
— Duroyan Fertl (@dfertl) October 23, 2019
I want to urge #SpainSitAndTalk. Otherwise depression of the #Catalan people will grow and Spanish authorities are to blame if the situation further escalate.There cannot be peacefull democratic talks when Catalan representatives are in prison and demonstrants attacked #Catalonia pic.twitter.com/NRGzn6kFE0
— Kateřina Konečná (@Konecna_K) October 23, 2019
"We have the obligation to demand the intervention of EU institutions, as international intervention is the only way to resolve a conflict of this nature. Their silence is no longer acceptable", said Irish MEP Matt Carthy (GUE-NGL). Welsh MEP Jill Evans (Greens-EFA) added: "This conflict is about democracy and fundamental rights, which should be in the essence of the European Union."