Thank you for your compliments about my article.

Well, I chose to write about the merits (or lack thereof) of the fake referendum in the first place, and not about the actual events on 1 October… because I wrote this before the whole thing happened.

That being said, and having seen some footage on TV now, I share your concerns about what the police did in Catalonia last Sunday. This is what I wrote yesterday about that, in response to another comment:

“I too lament the episodes of violence last Sunday. It seems that in certain places in Catalonia, the police beat protesters without reason. I hope those cases are investigated, and actions taken. (Ditto about the other incidents: mobs surrounded and threatened the police, insulted and threw objects at them).”

Yes, I believe some policemen and/or their bosses are responsible for injuries that were not a direct response to provocations. Some clips show police force charging too violently against mobs that did not seem to be threatening them. There is no doubt that should be investigated.

But let’s not fool ourselves: those ~800 wounded include all those who initiated violence against the police (eg, we have seen clips of people throwing traffic hurdles at policemen; others hitting back at the police). A good proportion of those injured brought their own fate upon them. Investigations will show how much of that was police brutality and how much violent youngsters provoking a response in self-defence.

Finally, and regardless of that, you may be right: perhaps the central government would have done better by staying aside, letting the whole farce play, and reinforcing its message that the “referendum” had no value at all. Looking at the front pages in the international press, the scenes of violence are serving beautifully the separatist cause. That is very unfortunate, and makes the conflict even harder to resolve.