Tumgik
#ask the people who passively enjoy it to boycott i support them
gayofthefae · 9 months
Text
I stand with Palestine but I also can't exactly afford to be picky with good representation. I'm sorry. Next question.
1 note · View note
Text
Y’know, my 12 year old friend came crying to our gc about the sort of things they’d been called for liking mcyt, specifically Ranboo and Quackity (what the fuck?)
Guess what guys? Guess what?
Liking a cc’s content (YES EVEN SCHLATT OR OTHERS OF HIS ILK) doesn’t make you default a bad person
You know why? Because your actions are what determine that.
I know many people hate Schlatt for the obviously offensive and biting nature of his persona’s jokes (please do understand he’s just an easy example! Schlatt is a persona, and his other channel seems to showcase HIM a lot better) and find it to be in rather bad taste to joke about such things. Some people who ARE part of the minority like to laugh at dark jokes regarding their situations. Some people cope with the world’s nature through bitter humor. I’ve made jokes in bad taste that made me laugh, even if I knew they weren’t good jokes.
Obviously the difference is I don’t put my jokes on the screen for others to see. But you know what? You’re not under any obligation to police that which offends you if it isn’t actively contributing to hurting you. Anything can be a passive influence- people will always be shitty. Sometimes the punchline is the joke itself- how stupid it sounds to begin with.
Let’s go hypothetical.
Two boys like two creators. One of them watches Ranboo- a very unproblematic, sweet creator who has gone above and beyond for the LGBTQ community. One of them watches Schlatt- who’s known for his persona, the shit jokes, so on.
Boy A is an asshole. He’s cruel to people irl, he’s not kind or supportive.
Boy B is very sweet and shy, and has a lot of issues he copes with through humor or media that others tend to find distasteful. But he’s nice to people, helps support them, and is good to them.
Technically the monetary support of his views “support” Schlatt. But you know how much one or two views is worth?
Less than a dollar. Less than fifty cents. It’s like walking up to him and giving him a piece of paper. Does that little amount of support negate who they are overall?
Different hypothetical.
One person has donated to a creator who turned out to be awful. They’re upset, but boycotts any of their products going forward and doesn’t watch them at all.
One person has bought merch of a creator who has a bit of an awkward record of lashing out. They don’t stop watching him because they feel sympathy for him and understand his perspective. However, they also use an adblocker for Youtube, thus not contributing to monetary gains on videos like that.
Both are good people irl. Both keep their socials on the downlow, and so wouldn’t post loudly about their purchases or donations. It comes out that A donated to that creator, and B tries to defend them, only for their merch to be dragged into the spotlight. Both are painted as horrible people.
This is the mentality of a lot of medias!
Except instead of hypotheticals, there’s real people being hurt just because they find comfort in some dumb gamer playing a block game. I do too! It’s all good, and you’re not any less successful or anything for enjoying block game dramatics.
P: And James ain’t saying you have to tolerate genuinely hurtful behavior. He’s saying to ask yourself if it’s worth hurting innocent kids when you post some stupid shit about hating “mcyt fans” “dream stans” etc. You can clam it too, you know. A lot of them are pretty young and they just want to enjoy their content in a community where they’re able to find likeminded people.
4 notes · View notes
Text
on the first day of kinkmas, my lover did to me:
[ a n g r y s e x ]
>TAEYONG
>warning/s: face fucking, unprotected sex
a/n: when i was at the sleepover, my friend told me about how he and the girl he’s seeing gets off at hating on a person and we were laughing so hard because it’s technically hate/angry sex right?? Just not towards each other lol anD ALSO THIS TEACHER WAS BASED OFF A REAL PROF I HAD BACK IN COLLEGE THAT COST ME A “Failure due to absences” MARK ON MY RECORDS i was that chicken towards him and i feel like most of this was just me shitting on him huhuhu if soMEONE FROM MY SCHOOL RECOGNIZES WHO THIS IS IM GONNA-- pls dont spread it around if u kno who this prof is huhuhuhuhu im probably //already// on his hitlist
-
Everyone hated at least one teacher they had come across in school; you met yours during Junior year in college. Mr. Chon was your Writing for Film elective professor and you’ve heard all the stories about how strict and uptight he was. You had blockmates who had him as a prof last semester and they always talked about how every meeting with him was living hell. You weren’t happy at the news, especially since he wasn’t even the prof you signed up for in the beginning.
There was only one class for the elective and you were able to get into the list before the final enrollment date, but because more people signed up for it and the registrar is absolute shit; you, along with other people, have been transferred to a new class--with the strictest, terror prof known in school.
You tried to appeal to the registrar for you to move back, but they put the blame on the Department of Comm for the class list and in the end, you weren’t allowed to move.
The first meeting with Mr. Chon was terrifying. Everyone in the room felt like they couldn’t breathe; so quiet that you could hear a pin drop and the air conditioning system sounded deafening. This elective was comprised mostly of Comm students and there were only a few of you that weren’t; one of which was your seatmate, Lee Taeyong, a dance major.
Before Mr. Chon entered the room, the two of you promised to help each other since your free time matched one another’s and neither of you wanted to do this alone. His friends ditched him last minute when he enrolled, opting for another elective he didn’t have the prerequisite of.
The first couple of classes with Mr. Chon was bearable. He made you guys watch highly rated films from his favorite directors during class and series like ‘Lost’ and ‘Designated Survivor’ for weekend homework. When it came to the first assignment, which was to pitch film ideas, it was all easy going aside from the one slip up majority of the class, with you included, of not printing it out in the specific format he made clear on the first day.
Strike one.
But when the time came to start working on the final project, as it is a full script for a film, the stress of it all came piling up. Mr. Chon gave out assignments to create character sheets, a lesson he never gave on, and expected you to submit a properly written one from research alone.
But before you can even create character sheets, he had to choose and approve a logline from the ones you’ve submitted beforehand. You tried to be nice and formal in your emails to him, always ending the message with a “Thank you and God bless.”
His replies sounded harsh despite the lack of words that would support that description. He had reprimanded you for submitting an edited version of the logline you presented in class, saying that no matter how good it was, if it was not submitted properly the day he had expected to receive it on a printed paper, he had expected you to revise all off them.
Strike two.
So you apologized for your mistake and made new loglines; and luckily he had chosen one that suited his taste. When it came to creating a character sheet, you were reprimanded for the format and given an example on how to make a proper one. However, you didn’t quite understand the file he had sent and took your chance into making minor changes to your previous submission, taking into account the little information you’ve understood from the text.
Strike three.
He reprimanded you (AGAIN), through email, for the ‘pathetic’ edit you’ve made. Ordering you to personally consult him after class or through scheduled one-on-one meetings in the Comm office where two other assistants can be witnesses to the whole ordeal.
This was indeed disadvantageous to you because while your classmates had the freedom to consult him 24/7 through email, you had to wait for class--one you had once a week--before you can even officially start anything, and that’s IF he approves anything.
At this point, you gave up; on him, the class, and your grade. It might be too late to officially drop out of class, but you can use up all your allowed absences until he’s failed you for it.
You were upset at your decision but it was the best sounding option you had, even Taeyong agreed to it because he couldn’t even get his loglines approved. You agreed to accompany him when he had his one-on-one consultation for his third revision of loglines and nearly half an hour later, he practically stormed out of the office while violently whispering to you that he was joining your little ‘boycott’ of the subject after Mr. Chon told him to revise everything again in the most passive aggressive manner.
Both of you had three allowed absences before your final grades would be considered FA (Failure due to Absences) and the two of you spent the supposed class hours together instead to ease each other of the anxiety of it all.
“I hate him.” You snarled, throwing your head back to gulp the can of beer Taeyong had offered you. “It wasn’t even fair to begin with!”
It was the last allowed absence you had for class. The thought of it made you cry, thinking how it would tarnish your records and disappoint your parents if they find out.
Taeyong wipes your tear with his thumb. You had oddly gotten close with Taeyong because of the elective; working together to do your assignments, consulting one another for suggestions, and especially sharing mutual hate for the class. It was maybe a month and a half already, but it’s as if you and Taeyong had been friends since freshman year.
“We both enrolled and paid on time for the original class and prof, why were we the ones moved?” You sniffed, silently thanking Taeyong for inviting you to his dorm so you could vent out your feelings to someone who understands the situation.
“I know. But the system sucks, what can a couple of students do against them?” He sighs, rubbing his eyes in frustration; probably wanting to cry as well with how his voice shook. He was his organization’s vice president and he had plans to run as president the next year, but with an FA grade, he doubts he can even make the minimum CQPA to run as treasurer. “Ah, hyung would be so disappointed if I don’t take his spot as org president.”
You glance at the wall clock as you take another gulp of beer, “T-there’s like 30 minutes before class actually starts… should we just go?”
Taeyong snaps his attention towards you, “Are you crazy? And what will we say for ditching class for two meetings? We don’t have anything to present to him. He might as well give us an ‘F’ as fat as him if we show up empty handed.”
You hated how he was right; Mr. Chon would probably eat you alive in front of class for doing so. “Yeah, w-we shouldn’t. We need to commit to this stupid idea of ours.”
A phone begins to ring and Taeyong stands up to answer the call outside.
You let your gaze wander around the room, noting how clean and organized it was. You vaguely remember him telling you how he always cleaned up after his roommate, but he took no offence to it, rather enjoying the act of tidying up as a stress reliever or time killer.
As you finish off your beer, you receive a notification for a new email from no other than Mr. Chon, reminding you of the consequences if you don’t show up to class and the way he had worded it so condescendingly made your blood boil, and on top of that had it CC’d to both assistants AND the chairperson of the department, you just felt utter rage from embarrassment.
You put your phone down before you could even reply with the most improper and vulgar message you can think of. At the same time, you hear the front door slam and Taeyong is stalking into the room; face red and nostrils flared.
Before you could even ask, he’s screaming in frustration: “Our president found out that I’m purposefully failing a class and is demanding me to attend it! He even went as far as threatening to take me off my position as vice president!”
“Then make him go through the class and let’s see how he deals with Mr. Chon, who, by the way, just emailed us. He’s reminding us of the consequences and you know what’s worse? He had copies of the email sent to both assistants and the chairperson of the department! Like, was that even necessary?”
“What the hell?” He checks his phone immediately, scowling when he finds the email. “What is his problem?! Does he get off of our misery or something? I’ve never dealt with this kind of prof before! He doesn’t even fucking teach!”
You don’t really know Taeyong long enough to think formulate this opinion, but you’ve never seen him so angry and honestly, he looked hot.
Maybe he caught how you looked at him, but one second he’s ready to spit out more hate, instead he slams his lips over yours, grabbing the sides of your face with his hands after dropping his phone to the floor.
It caught you off guard; making you stumble back a few steps at how he met your lips, your hands flying to grasp the cloth of his shirt around his waist. He steadies you against him, slipping his fingers over your nape as his tongue licks your bottom lip.
When you part your lips to make way for him, he wastes no time slipping the wet muscle into your mouth and exploring the warm cavern. You both moan at the contact of your tongues, tasting each other of the beers and mints you previously had.
“Fuck,” He gasps in between kisses, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You look so hot when you’re angry.” You guide his hand over your chest.
“Yeah?” Taeyong squeezes your breast, moving his lips onto your jaw. He slides his thigh between your legs and rubs it over your crotch, hurriedly.
Stifling a moan, you stretch your neck out to give him more access and thread your fingers through his hair as you grind yourself on him.
He brings his mouth over yours again after slipping his hands under your shirt to get a better feel of your boobs, pressing his thumbs over your nipples until they were pert to his touch. He helps you out of your blouse, using the moment your lips are separated to unhook your bra. While he shrugs out of his own shirt, you fall to your knees and begin to to unzip his pants.
Once you were able to push his pants down and free his cock out of his briefs, you engulf most of his length as best as you can, tightening a grip on the few centimeters with one hand.
Taeyong cusses above you, moaning low as he combs your head back.
A ringtone erupts from below you and you fish out his phone out of his pants, handing it to him before resuming your previous act. “Answer it.”
He swallows hard as he obeys your request, not even giving the caller ID a glance before picking it up. “Hello?”
You watch him through your lashes, continuing to lick the underside of his cock.
“Wha-Calm down! I’ve made up mind! I’m not going to class and it’s way too late now.” He shouts into his phone, catching you by surprise.
You meant to pull away but his hand pushes you back down his cock, forcing the tip all the way to the back of your throat. You thank your ability to control your gag reflex and let yourself get used to the feeling; hollowing out your cheeks as he thrusts into your mouth.
“Shit, li-listen, I’m n-not going to beg Mr. Chon to let me back in class! I--what? So what if I’m with a girl-- I didn’t-- Prez, you’re being ridiculous!” He growls, pushing you away and kicking his pants completely off in anger. “You can’t just kick me off the team! I’m--”
You rise up from the floor, wiping the spit that dribbled down your chin. Warily, you watched Taeyong huff at his phone, ready to throw it to the ground but glances at you.
In a beat, he’s turning you around and pinning you against the back of an armchair; making quick work of your jeans and pushing them down your ankles with his foot once he got it past your knees.
“Did he threaten to kick you off the team?” You quietly ask, breathing rapidly as Taeyong cards his fingers through your pussy.
“He already has. He’s so abusive with his power! He was only elected president because he has connections to sponsors.” He grumbles behind you, “He also keeps reusing past choreo for new pieces! No one has the guts to call him out for it. I even made the fucking mistake of trying to befriend him because now I just get pushed around by him!”
You reach behind you to guide his cock into your pussy, “Let it out, Taeyong. If you’re really off the team, you’re not his lacke--”
You’re cut-off with a gasp as Taeyong surges forward, penetrating into you.
“I’m not his lackey!” He hisses, clawing your hips for support as he thrusts his hips repeatedly. “I’m the fucking vice president of the dance team!”
“What kind of president pushes around the VP like that then? Are you sure you were elected as vice president and not his lackey?”
“Stop calling me that!” He yells, snapping his hips harder into yours and eliciting a high shriek from you.
You bend over the armchair, grabbing at the pillows to anchor yourself against the force Taeyong was going at. You can feel your walls already accommodating his girth as they pushed in and out of you. Your lower abdomen tightens as your legs start to quiver in excitement; your orgasm is coming faster than you anticipated.
“T-Tae, I’m going to-- I’m really, really close--”
He grunts, moving you to the couch while still pounding into you. He only pulls you off of his dick to spin you around so you would be facing him and sits down, wasting no time as he hooks his fingers around your thighs to have you sit on his lap.
“You know,” He starts, guiding his cock back into your awaiting entrance, “That goddamn class is the reason why our president is so harsh on me. I was either going to practices late or leaving early to work on our stupid assignments.”
“Ugh, the root of all our problems is because of that goddamn class! It’s still unfair how we were transferred to Mr. Chon’s class.” You adjusted your legs so you could carry your weight as you begin to ride him.
“Don’t even mention that asshole! He keeps bragging about how he wrote scripts for indie films and how he was mentored by great, award-winning scriptwriters, but he never bothered actually teaching us shit.” He punctuates his complaint with a hard thrust upwards.
You moan out loud, dragging the sound until your head is situated on the crook of his neck. “Do that again.”
He obeys--multiple times; each with an insult towards your professor.
“Aah, I’m comi--!” Taeyong pulls you in for a kiss, drowning out your cries of pleasure as he holds your hips down for him to drive his cock into with a more calculated force.
You come with your toes curled and head thrown back in a silent cry while Taeyong thumbs furious circles over your clit and chases after his own high.
“In me, in me.” You chant, still shaking from your release.
Taeyong moans, “Shit, really?”
After confirming with a nod, he shoots his load into you; sensing immense warmth overcome your belly as you help him ride it out. When you take his cock out and proceed to sit back down on his lap, you can already feel it drip out of you.
“I can’t believe I got off for being so pissed.” Taeyong breathes, covering his eyes with his palm. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“Not at all.” You clamber off of him, dropping your weight to the space beside him. “I liked it and I guess… sort of needed it, too.”
He turns his head towards you and snorts, “We deserved it after that hell of an elective. We’ll be weakshits to those who stayed, but whatever, yeah?”
“I value my sanity, thank you.” You laugh and he joins you. “The only thing good that came out of this was you.”
Taeyong’s lips twitched into a smile, “Yeah. We wouldn’t have met if not for that damned class. If we didn’t help each other out with Chon’s assignments…”
“We would have died way earlier.”
He chuckles, “Yeah, but, uhm, no, not just that… what I mean is that I wouldn’t have gotten to know you and,”
You blink at him, “And?”
“I can’t do this with my dick out, [Y/N]. Hold on.”
“Your dick is fine--it’s amazing, in fact.” You grab his shoulders when he tried to get up, “Taeyong, I like you.”
Taeyong bursts out laughing, “We’re really confessing in the nude?”
“Think of it this way: if you feel the same way, it’s so much easier to get down to business.” You cock a brow at him and he shrugs with puckered lips.
“Then, I like you, too.” He says, twisting his torso to face you and dragging his thumb across your lower lip, “So, round two?”
Snorting, you cup his face and pull him in for a kiss, “How about we exclude shitty profs and abusive friends?”
Taeyong hoists you up in his arms, carrying you so that either of your legs were secured over his hips. He starts to walk away from the couch, grinning at you as you squealed in surprise at his action, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
-
a/n: this feels so rushed because of my internet situation ;A;
510 notes · View notes
tt-review · 7 years
Link
Catalans race to create a new currency and economic fortress  The Catalan independence saga has no good ending If the EU cannot learn from Spain, separatism will only spread Why does Catalonia want independence from Spain? Catalonia declares independence – so is Barcelona safe to visit? Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader who has been ousted by the Spanish government, faces imminent arrest after he continued to defy Madrid by standing by the declaration of independence he led in Catalonia’s parliament. Mr Puigdemont could face more than 30 years in prison and sources from the Spanish public prosecutor’s office said they would demand that he be remanded in custody as soon as he is arrested. Spain’s prosecution service was already preparing accusations of rebellion and misuse of public funds against Mr Puigdemont for going ahead with an illegal referendum on independence for Catalonia, held on October 1 amid scenes of police violence against hundreds of voters. Friday’s declaration of independence in Catalonia’s parliament made Mr Puigdemont’s arrest a possibility. His fellow government members and the speaker of the house, Teresa Forcadell, are also at risk for permitting the vote to go ahead. In a televised address Saturday afternoon, hours after he was officially dismissed by government decree under emergency powers granted to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Mr Puigdemont raised the stakes again by asking Catalans “to defend our conquests” through the use of mass civil disobedience. Ignoring the fact that he had been formally dismissed from his post, Mr Puigdemont said: “We cannot and do not want to win through force. Not us.” Catalan activists are preparing to defend the declaration of independence, despite the fact that the international community has snubbed the declaration.   Juncker: 'there isn't room in Europe for other fractures' 00:27 The Spanish government on Saturday appeared to have gained the upper hand in a standoff with the Catalonian government by taking swift and what it hopes will prove decisive action as pro-union sentiment grows.  Its manoeuvres against Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence represent the first time that Mr Rajoy has directly confronted the Catalonian leadership rather than relying on the courts and police to rein it in. The decisions agreed by Mr Rajoy’s cabinet on Friday evening, to use special powers granted to the government by Spain’s senate to remove Carles Puigdemont as leader of the Catalan government along with all of his ministers, came into effect in the early hours of Saturday, effectively undoing the declaration of a republic that had lasted only half a day. In all, at least 150 officials and their appointed aides were stripped of their jobs by the measures. Diplocat, Catalonia’s network of foreign ‘ambassadors’ that has long raised hackles with the administration in Madrid, was another casualty of Spain's measures. Juan Ignacio Zoído, Spain’s interior minister and now in charge of security in Catalonia, moved to replace the chief of the regional police force, Josep Lluís Trapero. The reason given for removing him as the head of the Mossos d’Esquadra force was Major Trapero’s “legal situation”, given that the former police chief is one step away from being charged with sedition for his role in allegedly allowing the illegal October 1 referendum to go ahead. The morning after the declaration of independence in Catalonia, confusion reigned on the streets of Barcelona as to what regime was in power. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont speaks during a statement at the Palau Generalitat today Credit: Presidency Press Service, Pool Photo via AP “The question is who's in charge?" said Manolo, who did not wish to give his surname. Others wondered what comes next. "They've fired the president and now they're telling us to hold elections. How can we have elections because Madrid orders them?" wondered 46-year-old Mireia Garcia. Catalonia’s pro-independence parties have to decide quickly whether and how they will take part in the snap ballot called for December 21 by Mr Rajoy. The far-left CUP party has already said it will boycott the elections as it no longer recognises Madrid’s authority, and other independence parties are considering whether they will make the same decision. “We will have a massive rebel paella,” said CUP parliamentarian Mireia Boya, in a jocular reference to the elections being called for a Thursday, a traditional paella day, rather than the usual Sunday. The possibility of a boycott by pro-independence parties was seen as real enough by former Catalonian leader, Artur Mas, who this week said it would be “lethal” to the sovereignty movement. The independence movement only enjoyed a slight majority in Catalonia's parliament, and some activists fear a boycott will mean a comfortable majority for pro-Madrid parties come December. Seemingly exhausted by weeks of decision making over whether and how to proclaim independence, Mr Puigdemont’s televised statement on Saturday expressed determination but gave no details on what the ousted Catalan government plans to do in the coming weeks. People wave Spanish flags during a mass protest by people angry with Catalonia's declaration of independence Credit: AP Photo/Paul White “Our will is to continue working to fulfill our democratic mandates,” Mr Puigdemont said. Despite being at risk of arrest for rebellion against Spanish constitutional order, Mr Puigdemont on Saturday cut a relaxed figure when he was caught by the cameras of La Sexta television channel enjoying a meal and a drink in a neighbourhood restaurant in his native Girona. One other member of the axed Catalan government, Josep Rull, remained defiant. Announcing on Twitter that his territory and sustainability department had approved contracts to improve Catalonia's rail network worth 9.5 million euros, Mr Rull ended the message by saying: "We continue". In Madrid thousands massed under Colón square’s massive Spanish flag to demand that Catalonia’s rebellion be put to an end. "Prison for Puigdemont", demonstrators shouted. Jorge Marín, a 38-year-old engineer, said: "In the end, this is going to come to nothing. "The Catalans aren't serious, and we're not serious, because they're not really getting independence, and we're not going to put them in prison for what they're doing." The Madrid government is concerned about the potential for confrontation across Catalonia during a weekend of demonstrations and following police violence earlier in the month. Local newspaper El País quoted Spanish government sources saying the plan is to act “with prudence and proportionality” to ease Catalonia’s former leaders out of their posts, fearful of scenes of street clashes involving police being beamed around the world as happened during the October 1 referendum on independence. Spanish State Secretaries and undersecretaries discuss yesterday's events at the State Secretary of Land Management Credit: EPA/JJ GUILLEN Volunteers to heed a call to mount the civil disobedience hinted at by Mr Puigdemont, are not hard to find. “If they say that Puigdemont and the speaker of parliament are going to be arrested, we will go and defend them. It will be peaceful resistance. Let it be they who do the violence,” Sara, a 17-year-old who did not wish to reveal her surname, told the Telegraph on a Barcelona street this weekend. “We’ve declared independence and now come the consequences. It will be humiliating if we don’t struggle,” agreed her 19-year-old friend, Paula. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, widely regarded as the best communicator in the conservative Popular Party government, has been entrusted with the key role of coordinating direct rule from Madrid, but she will face a difficult task.  Marti Olivella, a veteran activist imprisoned in the 1970s for refusing to do compulsory military service, was teaching groups of volunteers techniques of passive resistance in a park next to Barcelona’s Sants railway station on Saturday. “I think it’s an illusion to think that people who have led us this far and declared independence are going to just walk away because a law is published,” Mr Olivella said in reference to the imposition of Article 155 and the Spanish government’s dismissal of Catalonia’s entire ministerial team. “If they stay there, rock solid in their ministry buildings and in parliament, and a sector of society makes access difficult, it will be complicated for the authorities. Don’t forget that two million people put their physical safety on the line to go out and vote in the referendum.”   Eva Casas, a 54-year-old bookseller from Barcelona, recalls what she calls the Spanish security forces’ “terrorist violence” as they attempted to break up the referendum. “Today we are a republic. Tomorrow the forces of occupation will try and stop us. We are Spain’s last colony. Spain doesn’t know us, but they want our territory and our wealth. “The police came in to the polling station and we weren’t afraid. People took the blows, went to hospital and came out in slings to cast their votes. We hope this time that the European Union will condemn Rajoy and his violence.” But the organisers of a march against independence also hope to take over the streets of Barcelona on Sunday. Pro-independence supporters celebrate following the parliamentary vote Credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg Alex Ramos, vice president of Catalan Civil Society, said he is expecting up to a million people to celebrate what he called the “end of the surreal and disturbing adventure by the nationalist political class”. Britain’s Foreign Office has issued a warning to tourists to “exercise caution” in Barcelona and Catalonia due to the political developments of recent days.  “Further gatherings and demonstrations are very likely to take place in the coming days; they may occur with little or no warning and even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can escalate and turn confrontational”, the notice says. Barcelona is bracing for economic uncertainty after investors sold off Spanish bonds and shares in Catalan banks in reaction to Friday’s vote, while Catalonia's future in the EU single market looked in doubt. Announcing draconian measures to impose direct rule on the region yesterday, Mr Rajoy said he hoped his planned restoration of constitutional order would mean that “no more companies, and no more investors” would join the exodus after two of the country’s top five banks announced their decision to leave Catalonia. But large global banks and funds are no longer convinced that the premier can contain the crisis. “We are going to destroy the work of two generations in Catalonia,” said Joaquín Gay, president of Foment de Treball, the region’s leading business organisation. Nearly 1,700 companies have moved their headquarters outside of Catalonia since the referendum three weeks ago.  Many business leaders are worried that as a result of the uncertainty the Catalan economy, the largest in Spain and which accounts for a fifth of its GDP, will lose its strength. Earlier this month, as a result of the uncertainty, Spain cut growth forecasts for its economy next year from 2.3 per cent to 2.6 per cent.  On Friday, shares in Catalonian banks fell sharply on Spain’s Ibex-35. CaixaBank, which is Spain's third largest lender, immediately fell by around five per cent while Sabadell, the country's fifth biggest bank, fell roughly six percent. Both announced earlier this month they planned to move their headquarters from Barcelona. Revellers and protestors clash after Catalonia declares independence 01:22 “When you lose CaixaBank, a symbol of Catalonia, it’s demoralising. Companies like Sabadell are going to move their top management, and then it will be assets leaving. The same thing that happened to Quebec is going to happen here,” Carlos Rivadulla of the association Empresaris de Catalunya (Catalan businesspeople), told the Telegraph. Sabadell confirmed on Friday that it is moving its management offices out of Barcelona, following its decision to change registered office earlier in the month. Jaime Guardiola, the chief executive of Sabadell, said that all banks, not just his, have moved deposits out of Catalonia and into safer parts of Spain. "Money is easily scared and even though we tell customers there is no problem, many have decided to move their money," he said. The immediate impact on tourism - a crucial constituent of the Barcelona economy - has also been marked. Flight booking forecasting business, ForwardKeys, reported that air travel bookings to Catalonia are down 22 per cent this month compared to the same period last year. As a result, local businesses are suffering. Javier, who runs three restaurants in Barcelona told The Telegraph: "We’ve seen an alarming drop-off in business of more than 30 per cent since the start of October. It’s unsustainable if this carries on.  "People in the tourism trade are all saying the same and it is impossible to overstate the importance of these services to Catalonia’s economy." Investors appeared to believe the crisis will be resolved, though analysts say the risks are growing daily. “We still think that the economic effects of this political crisis will be manageable,” said Stephen Brown, economist at Capital Economics. 1:44PM Ousted Catalan leader calls for peaceful resistance Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was fired by the Spanish government over the province’s declaration of independence, has called on the people to non-violently resist Madrid’s takeover bid. 1:31PM 'No room in Europe for any more cracks',  says Juncker Officials in Europe are speaking out against Catalonia's declaration of independence. European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker, speaking from French Guyana, said "there isn't room in Europe for other fractures or other cracks. We've had enough of those." Juncker said the EU wants "to respect the Spanish constitutional and legal order. We are not in favor of letting Europe develop so that tomorrow we'd have 95 member states. Twenty-eight is enough for now." Celebrations in Catalonia Credit: AP Greece also expressed concern Saturday about Catalonia's independence bid, saying it supports Spain's territorial integrity. Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos says "we are particularly concerned about the situation in Spain and repeat that Europe can only go forward united ... unilateral actions cannot be accepted." 12:35PM FCO advice The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its advice on Spain.  There have been large gatherings of people in Barcelona and other areas of the Catalonia region in relation to the political developments there; further gatherings and demonstrations are very likely to take place in the coming days; they may occur with little or no warning and even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can escalate and turn confrontational; you should exercise caution if you're in the vicinity. 12:34PM Rallies in Madrid Opponents of independence for Catalonia are holding a rally in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Thousands of people have turned out in the Plaza de Colon, many waving Spanish flags or wearing them around their shoulders. #28Oct#AHORA |VIDEO EXCLUSIVO| En Plaza de Colón de Madrid. Manifestación por la #UNIDAD de #ESPAÑA .@http://DanielAckermanLpic.twitter.com/33o2NbNU6E— CATERINA VALENTINO (@CATERINAV) October 28, 2017   11:14AM Anger and confusion on the streets of Barcelona Barcelona residents awoke on Saturday wondering if they were living in a new Catalan republic or if it had "all been a dream", as Manolo, a cyclist in the park surrounding Catalonia's parliament, pondered. "The question is who's in charge now?" Manolo, who did not wish to give his surname to the Telegraph's James Badcock, said he didn't agree with the way the republic had been declared. "I don't think many people believe in it. There were celebrations last night but we've seen bigger demonstrations in the past." Mireia Garcia, a 46-year-old from Barcelona, was more irate with the Spanish government's imposition of direct rule. "They've fired the president and now they're telling us to hold elections. How can we have elections because Madrid orders them?" Credit: Reuters   11:01AM "We continue", vows fired Catalan minister The first officially fired Catalan minister to communicate on social media today has vowed to continue, according to our correspondent in Barcelona James Badcock. Josep Rull announced on Twitter that his territory and sustainability department on Friday approved contracts to improve Catalonia's rail network worth 9.5 million euros, ending the message saying cryptically #Seguim, or "We continue". Ahir vam adjudicar deu obres de millora de la xarxa viària per valor de més de 9'5M€. Les més rellevants a l'LP3322, C12, C55 o C28 #Seguim— Josep Rull i Andreu (@joseprull) October 28, 2017   10:23AM "The independence saga has no good ending" This is a momentous occasion for Catalonia and for Spain. But it is also, without doubt, a tragic one, Daniel Cappuro writes for the Telegraph. No matter what the final result of this crisis is, one of Europe’s most charismatic, charming, and beautiful nations will be irrevocably damaged. No side comes out of this well, and the Iberian Peninsula will end up a far less happy place. The unilateral declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament is a big step. Essentially the separatists have set a course and ripped off the tiller. There can be no going back for them now. It’s hard to share in the jubilation of Catalan nationalists. A tense parliamentary vote, the electric spread of joy through vast crowds in the streets as the result is reported, a lofty speech delivered by a newly crowned national saviour. These are scenes that used to bring elation in Europe, as one by one the people of this continent threw off oppression. The bitter tale of Yugoslavia may have made us more wary, but freedom and self-determination are beautiful things. Independence supporters gather in Sant Jaume square Credit: Bloomberg   10:00AM EU warns 'more cracks' in bloc  The EU's most senior official warned that "more cracks" were emerging in the bloc on Friday after the Catalan parliament declared independence from Spain, plunging the country into political and economic turmoil. Madrid swiftly responded to the vote by dissolving the Catalan parliament and dismissing Carles Puigdemont as president of Catalonia and his entire government.  Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, announced that regional elections would be held in December and said the unprecedented act of imposing direct rule on the regional was needed to "recover normality". Credit: Bloombger The shock decision to declare independence poses potentially the greatest threat to the EU's unity since Brexit, and is likely to fuel support for separatist movements in Ireland, Scotland and the Basque Country. Read more on this here.  9:56AM Madrid fires Catalonia's regional police chief  Madrid on Saturday dismissed the chief of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, a day after imposing direct control on the region over a bid to break away from Spain. The firing of Josep Lluis Trapero, Catalonia's highest-ranking policeman, was published in the official government gazette as Spain perched on a knife's edge in its worst political crisis in decades. Madrid accuses Trapero of disobeying court orders to block a banned October 1 independence referendum. He became a hero to the secessionists after his force took a much softer stance than national police in enforcing a government ban on an independence referendum on Oct. 1. In an effort to defuse tensions, the regional police force urged its members to behave in a neutral manner and not to take sides, an internal note seen on Saturday by Reuters showed. Trapero became a hero to the secessionists after his force took a much softer stance than national police in enforcing a government ban on an independence referendum on Oct. 1.
http://ift.tt/2hkh9DX
0 notes