President to fast for two days to support jailed leaders on hunger strike

Ministers and MPs shut themselves up in monastery and refuse to eat for 24 hours

The Catalan government spokeswoman, Elsa Artadi, leaving monastery where she joined the 24-hour fasting
The Catalan government spokeswoman, Elsa Artadi, leaving monastery where she joined the 24-hour fasting / ACN

ACN | Ljubljana

December 7, 2018 11:21 AM

The Catalan president, Quim Torra, will fast for 48 hours in the coming days in support of the jailed leaders on hunger strike.

According to sources of the Catalan presidency, Torra plans to do without food for two days before December 21, as he wants to show his support for the incarcerated officials on hunger strike within the first 20 days of their protest.

On December 1, two leaders in pre-trial jail, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Turull, started their strike, and they were joined by two more two days later, Josep Rull and Joaquim Forn.

Some 50 people stay in monastery overnight

Yet Torra’s protest to support them is not the only one. Some 50 people stayed in a Barcelona monastery overnight, with some of them fasting for 24 hours.

Among the protesters were three ministers, including the culture and territory heads, and the government spokeswoman, as well as representatives of the pro-independence parties, Junts per Catalunya, Esquerra and CUP.

The protest not only aimed to show solidarity with the jailed leaders who are refusing to eat, but it was also to reject the Spanish Constitution on the day marking its 40th anniversary.

On Friday morning, several officials left the monastery holding sleeping bags among others.