Catalunya grinds to a halt in mass protest strike
Tuesday, October 3, 2017 @ 11:47 AM
A REGION-WIDE strike over the police violence seen on Sunday in an attempt to stop Catalunya's independence referendum has affected everything from football teams through to transport, schools and healthcare.
El Prat airport was said to be running 'as normal' as at 09.45 this morning (Tuesday), and although the regional education authority had given schools permission to strike as they wished, minimum services will continue in infants and primary, and high schools and FE colleges will have 'at least one official' on duty.
Even the Cistercian monks at the Poblet Monastery have joined the strike, but have agreed to let visitors in pre-booked groups continue with their tours, albeit behind locked doors.
Tarragona has stopped its bus service for the day, and the city council – run by the socialists – has complained of picket lines with people hurling stones at buses and covering them with graffiti.
More pickets have blocked the T-11 Reus-Tarragona motorway, even burning tyres on the carriageway.
Major chemical plants are working on 'minimum services only', although a spokesman for petroleum giant Repsol says shift changes 'went ahead as normal'.
Industrial estates, shops, and even farms have shut down for the day, and protests are taking place in the ports of Barcelona, Palamós, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sant Carles de la Ràpita as dock workers have completely downed tools.
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