German business people and professionals have been offended by the attitude shown yesterday by their compatriot Karl Jacobi in an event at Barcelona's Círculo Ecuestre club with the speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Roger Torrent. Jacobi called forcefully for all independence supporters "to go to prison", kicking off a notable controversy.
Commerce delegate Hans-Peter Trauschke: "As a German in Catalonia, I feel offended by the KDF [Circle of German-Speaking Managers] and specifically by some of their (disgraceful) members. They do not at all represent the German community in Catalonia. Their statutes say they cannot take political positions."
Com alemany, a #Catalunya, em sento ofès çel #KDF i precisament alguns dels seus (impresentables) membres, no representen en absolut a la #ComunitatAlemanyaCatalunya. Els seus estatuts, diuen què, no és poden posicionar políticament. #CirculoEcuestrehttps://t.co/HzwBlpK9Om
— Hans-Peter Trauschke (@HansPeterT) 6 de març de 2018
Audiovisual creator Heiko Kraft: "I'm a German entrepreneur living and investing in Catalonia. I'm profoundly embarrassed by the lack of respect the speaker of the Parliament, Roger Torrent, had to experience today in Círculo Ecuestre in Barcelona. These people would never speak to any German politician this way. Shame."
Soc empresari alemany resident i invertint a #Catalunya. M'avergonyeixo profundament per la falta de respecte que avui ha tingut de passar el President del #Parlament @rogertorrent al #circuloecuestre a #Barcelona. Aquesta gent no parlaria mai així a cap polític alemany. #Shame
— Kraft Heiko (@kraftheiko) 6 de març de 2018
An IT consultant called Ferran, also of German origin, wrote: "As a German resident in Catalonia for more than 65 years, I have to say that the disgraceful person who has called for the imprisonment of Catalan politicians in the Círculo Ecuestre is the typical xenophobe who scorned Catalans and Spaniards 50 years ago. They don't know Spanish, nor does it matter to them."
#TotEsMouTV3
— Ferran (@ferranbcn1949) 6 de març de 2018
Com alemany resident a Catalunya mes de 65 anys, he de dir que la persona impresentable que ha demanat la presó per els polítics catalans al Círculo Ecuestre es el típic xenófob que menyspreaba els catalans y espanyols fa 50 anys. No saben castellá, ni els importa
Journalist Ralf Streck: "A German employer in a meeting with Torrent got abusive, wants to see everyone who pushes the independence process in jail. Does this gem of a German democratic export (who shall remain nameless) want large camps for Scots or Brexit supporters too?"
Deutscher Unternehmer beim Treffen mit Torrent wurde ausfällig, will alle im Knast sehen, die den Unabhängigkeitsprozess vorantreiben. Will das Prachtstück deutscher Demokratieexporte, bleibt anonym, große Lager, auch für Schotten oder Brexit-Betreiber? https://t.co/tQvevnRGfZ
— Ralf Streck (@ralf_streck) 6 de març de 2018