Spain: Police arrest 4 in Catalonia amid general strike

By Senhan Bolelli </p> <p>MADRID (AA) – Police in Spain arrested four people Thursday in connection with a general strike called by pro-independence Catalan non-governmental organizations, trade unions and political parties. </p> <p>In protest of the trial of 12 Catalan leaders in the country’s capital, Madrid, strikes brought several major Catalonian cities to a halt, including Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona.</p> <p>At least 46 people were injured in demonstrations after clashes broke out with security forces, including 16 police officers and a Spanish journalist caught among the Catalan protestors.</p> <p>A large demonstration was held in Barcelona calling for &quot;independence&quot; and &quot;freedom for political prisoners&quot;.</p> <p>Spain dissolved the Catalan parliament after the Catalan government held an illegal independence referendum in October 2017.</p> <p>Shortly afterward, then Spanish Premier Mariano Rajoy implemented Article 155 of Spain’s constitution which allows Madrid to intervene in the internal affairs of the country’s autonomous regions.</p> <p>Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont then fled Spain to Belgium before being briefly held in Germany for 12 days under an European Union arrest warrant</p> <p>He returned to Brussels after his release, where he has been living in exile ever since.