Protests by the Locals

 Protests By The Locals

Sarah and I were just walking around the Catalonia Square area after the tour was done and saw a bunch of people crowded on the street blocked off by police. We weren't sure what they were protesting against because we obviously did not understand them. So, we took pictures of their signs and Nadim said it has something to do with protesting against different types of torture. 


Protests in Barcelona can relate back to my POL 130 class because it rains questions about the state and their laws they have in place. Since POL 130 analyzes how ethnic or regional identities influence protest causes and state reactions, I figured this would be a good example. After further research, the Catalonian protests against violence, especially those involving police brutality or state repression, are rooted in a complex mix of historical, political, and social factors. The most visible trigger I found through research that happened in October of 2017, was the excessive police force during Catalonia's independence referendum, which Spain's central government declared illegal. For example, videos and reports show police using violence against voters and protesters, sparking outrage and massive protests. 


One other example is the hindering of their historical and cultural identity. To the Catalonians, violence during protests is not just physical harm but it also symbolizes historic oppression or the government's unwillingness to recognize Catalonia's distinct identity. The protests are partly about asserting identity and resisting perceived assimilation. 


One benefit this experience has on me, is it allows me to have a firsthand understanding of regional nationalism and identity politics. It helps me understand how deeply rooted cultural identities influence politics differently than in the U.S. and it provides close comparative insights.


Comparative politics helps explain why Catalonians protest, how the protests unfold, and what effects they have, by situation them in broader patterns. While political theory helps me think about the ethical and normative aspects of the protests. POL 130 helps me assume this protest happened because of grievances, institutions, and mobilization dynamics. While for POL 150, it helps me think more of political claims and underlying grievances 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Under the Law of the Koran: A Journey Through Spain's Islamic Heritage

Image
Under the Law of the Koran: A Journey Through Spain's Islamic Heritage      On Tuesday June 10th, a couple of us went to the Museum of Catalonian History. This museum was very fun to visit because it was interactive. Therefore, it wasn't just reading about the history, but you could act things out, try things on, and other fun interactive activities. The staff was also very nice because with the Barcelona card, we would still technically have to pay a certain amount but because we are students, we got in for free. I learned a lot at this museum as there were three floors worth of history. I was interested in how they figured out what resources they had and what they did with it and how it then evolved. It was also cool the layout of all this information. For instance, how they started from the very beginning and then had different parts to each specific generation. The layout of the museum itself was easy to navigate to make sure you are going in the right direction ...
Read more

The Roman Wall of Barcelona

Image
 The Roman Wall of Barcelona We were touring the Gothic Quarter for the day and one of the first few things our tour guide (Nadim) talked about was this wall. Back in the day there was a wall that surrounded certain parts or Barcelona. Some parts are still up/reserved; for example,  Plaça Nova , to the right of the Cathedral, is good point to start to see the remains of the wall. After some research, I found that f our towers  have been preserved, two in the Casa de l’Ardiaca, the archdeacon’s house, and two more either side of Carrer del Bisbe, which flanked one of the four entrances into the old  Roman town . After doing further research, this wall holds a lot of historical identity and regionalism which connects to my POL 130 class. For instance, the wall represents a time when Barcelona had a distinct urban and administrative identity, which Catalan nationalists sometimes invoke to assert  historical legitimacy  for greater independence from Spain....
Read more