Catalans plan human shield to block Madrid takeover

MADRID: Catalan separatists are mobilising a human shield to block efforts by the Spanish authorities to take control of the breakaway region as both sides prepare to escalate the political conflict, according to two people familiar with the plans. Groups will concentrate their activists around the regional government’s headquarters in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter and the nearby parliament building, the people said, asking not to be identified by name. They expect Spanish police to use force to try to shut down the administration and will put their bodies on the line, said one person.

“We are calling for a peaceful and democratic defense of the institutions,” said Lluis Corominas, the leader of the main separatist group in the Catalan Parliament. The Catalan leadership was left to plot its next move following Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s declaration of unprecedented measures to reassert his authority. The rebels in Barcelona are running out of options while Madrid attempts to bring an end to the country’s most dramatic political crisis for four decades. The showdown may come at the end of the week.

Regional President Carles Puigdemont, who accused Rajoy of a “coup d’etat,” is set to be ousted by the Spanish government and his allies are signaling he could declare independence. The legislature in Barcelona, which is controlled by separatist parties, will convene on Thursday just as Rajoy is expected to win approval from the Senate for his crackdown.