Situated just minutes away from the busy thoroughfare of Gracia, Carrer de Pau Claris in Barcelona is a lively street that bustles with restaurants, shops, hotels and apartments.

On a normal night, you might hear the din of laughter and conversation there, as people enjoy themselves in one of the many bars and cafes that sometimes spill out onto the pavement. But in recent weeks, this area has become an epicentre for the huge independence protests which have broken out in Catalonia.

A “Catalan by invitation”, having spent 15 years in Barcelona, and having lived on Pau Claris for the past number of years, British journalist Aine Doris is better placed than most to talk about the recent, dramatic events.

“This has all happened incredibly fast and the extent of it has taken everyone by surprise,” she says, speaking from Barcelona. “Independence is an issue which has been in the background as long as I’ve lived here. It’s always been a function of Catalan society and government, but it’s only been in recent years that momentum has really picked up.”

There are various reasons why this is the case. While many political parties in Catalonia have long talked about independence, the negligence and intransigence of the Spanish central government in recent years has turned vague electoral rhetoric into a real, live opportunity.

When, for example, the Catalonian government proposed in 2012 that they should have greater fiscal autonomy from Madrid, their proposals were roundly rejected. This might not have made international headlines at the time, but it was one of a number of perceived slights that led to many Catalans feeling deeply disillusioned.

Catalonia generates a fifth of Spain’s economic output and more than a quarter of its exports, despite having only a seventh of the population. One argument being made by separatists is that they are unfairly being asked to subsidise the rest of the country.

Following on from this, an exploratory referendum in 2014 found that an overwhelming number of Catalans favoured having a full referendum on independence. This was not a sudden grab for power by the separatists - opinion polls have consistent suggested that most of the population was still divided on full independence - but it was an attempt to gauge the views of the Catalonian public, on order to once again make the argument for greater autonomy. However, the Spanish government’s refusal to make concessions has accelerated the push towards independence.

MURKY WATERS

The most shocking manifestation of Madrid’s intransigence came in their actions on the day of the 2017 referendum itself. Footage of militia-styled Spanish riot police attacking voters, confiscating ballot boxes, and firing rubber bullets, were broadcast across the world on October 1. Outrage, and a hardening of opinion, quickly followed.

“I think that one of the reasons everyone feels so aghast is the way this has escalated,” says Doris. “The heavy handed response from Madrid has worked in the favour of the separatist movement. It has galvanised people – like me – who would’ve been neutral or impartial in this, and made them feel outraged. We’re in a gridlocked situation now, because the Catalan European Democratic Party [the ruling party in Catalonia] have played a PR blinder.

“They’ve pushed this through regardless of the legality and they’ve come out looking like heroes. The clever thing, most people agree, would’ve been for Madrid to say, ‘Go ahead. Do the referendum. It’s not legally binding anyway’. I think people are slightly baffled at the decisions they’ve taken. Instead of allowing this region to get a read of how their people are feeling, with a democratic vote, they’ve come straight in with these hardman tactics.”

While the Spanish government’s actions reek of the old-style fascism of the General Franco era, the parallels between the current situation and the Spain of the past are limited.

“The Catalan people are hugely political, but also very peaceful,” Aine says. “They showed that during the terrorist attack in the summer. The Catalan reaction was cool and tempered. This is a peace-loving people, who know that the only way to affect change is through democratic, peaceful means.”

The question, then, is whether both sides can agree on a resolution that maintains this peace. Counter protests against the referendum have taken place in Barcelona in recent days, the Spanish Constitutional Court has declared the referendum to be void, and the EU has refused to be dragged into the murky waters here.

Whether this will embolden the separatists further, or not, Spain is in what Aine calls “uncharted territory” now – and there’s little hope of a quick fix.