S4C’s current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar followed Bangor Man Ruben Chapela, as he travelled back to Spain to vote in last Sunday’s Catalonia independence referendum.
Mr Chapela, who works as a language tutor at Bangor University and also speaks Welsh, went back to Spain, where he was born, to vote in the controversial referendum. Y Byd ar Bedwar travelled with him, and they also captured the violent clashes between voters and police.
Around two million people voted in Sunday‘s referendum with 90% of the electorate in favour of independence from Spain. The Spanish Government declared the referendum illegal and sent thousands of police into the region to stop the vote from going ahead.
Barcelona remains at a standstill as pro-independence supporters stage a general strike in protest over violence during the referendum. Schools, Metro Stations and roads are closed with most of the disruption taking place in and around The Catalonian capital.
Mr Chapela told the programme he voted in favour of independence: “The Spanish Government has acted in an authoritarian way against the Catalan Government. They have blocked Catalonian finances; they have sent their Police force into Catalonia to try and stop the democratic process. We are fighting for rights many people take for granted.”
Y Byd ar Bedwar was there as police officers forcibly removed ballot boxes from a polling station. Violent clashes between Spanish Police and pro independence supporters sent shock waves around the world as they began to appear on social media.
Mr Chapela added: “This is repression they cannot and should not carry out attacks on ordinary citizens. If Spain wants to keep its status as a democratic country within the European Union they have to behave in a different way.”
You can watch the programme tonight (3/10/17) at 21:30hrs on S4C
