IMPORTANT: if arriving in BARCELONA next DEC 21st

Hi all,

In response to several reports of this post, this is a reminder that we accept posts that refer to politics if it is directly informative about how it may affect travelers. Enric has done a consistently good job of this given the turmoil in his region in recent times, though I hope he will accept that I made an edit to simplify the explanation of the planned protest so as to help avoid engagement on the political topic.

If there are any residual concerns, please address them privately with me via PM. Thanks in advance for keeping this topic about the travel conditions on the ground and not the politics. And thanks to Enric for helping travelers with this information.

No pblm @Webmaster, just wanted to add some background info for visitors to have a complete picture.

It's likely more concrete actions will be announced in the coming days so if I deem them useful for visitors, I will keep you posted. The area you might want to avoid, especially in the morning, is near where the meeting will take place, in Casa Llotja de Mar.

In any case -and those that know me already know this- if I don't post any specific warnings it's because there's no need to be concerned. Saying so because there are alarmist fake news 'out there' about the climate in this region which do not reflect reality at all.

I'm happy to get the updates. I'll be making my third visit to Barcelona on February 19-24, 2019. This time bringing my niece to see your great city. I don't anticipate any problems, but appreciate the heads up.

Thank you, Enric. Very helpful post. My nephew currently lives in Barcelona and is returning home on December 21st. Though he probably already knows, I think I will drop him a quick e-mail to be aware of the possible traffic issues.

@JHK.... of all the days in the year.... !!!!! :))

As always the US Embassy does their chick little act (also a bit of CYA on their part). Here is their warning for Friday.

Embassy of the United States of America
Madrid, Spain
Consulate General of the United States of America
Barcelona, Spain

Demonstration Alert – December 18, 2018

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Event: Several demonstrations are expected to take place in Barcelona on December 21, 2018, regarding Catalonia’s political situation. U.S. citizens should expect disruptions to traffic flows and public transportation. Additional demonstrations may occur at other locations throughout Catalonia. Please see our Demonstrations in Spain webpage for more information.

Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity.

Actions to Take:
· Avoid the areas of the demonstrations
· Exercise caution if in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests
· Monitor local media for updates
· Be aware of your surroundings
· Keep a low profile
· Notify friends and family of your safety

U.S. citizens may monitor English-language Spanish media at the following website: https://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

View updates on Twitter and Facebook from the Spanish National Police @policia, Guardia Civil @guardiacivil, Mossos D’Esquadra @mossos, and Guardia Urbana @barcelona_GUB

Mossos d’Esquadra (Regional Police)
Barcelona City Police
https://twitter.com/spanishpolice?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/PoliciaNacional/?fref=ts
https://www.policia.es/
https://twitter.com/guardiacivil?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/GuardiaCivil.es/
http://www.guardiacivil.es/en/servicios/atencionciudadano_1/index.html

Thank you so much for this update - we will be flying in Sunday morning (23rd). Do you think there will be any residual things to watch for on this day? In general, is it pretty easy to find a taxi at the airport? I'm not familiar with the address of the hotel to map my way through metro (like how we have done before, though not in barcelona). We are thinking that with 9 of us and just having flown all night, we might go for the easy route and just take a taxi. Thanks for your input!

As always, the State department advise is, well, let's say "of little use" (gosh!)

1. If you want to monitor accurate and factual up-to-date information you better turn to the English-speaking channels of the Catalan press instead... (boots in the field, duh!): https://www.elnacional.cat/en/ , https://www.vilaweb.cat/categoria/in-english/ or https://www.ara.cat/en/
2. If you want twitter updates from the Police... again, neither the Spanish Policia Nacional nor the paramilitary Guardia Civil are in charge of these matters here in Catalonia, so stick to Catalan police, either Mossos d'Esquadra or Barcelona's city police, Guàrdia Urbana. Do remember they only tweet in English that information deemed necessary and/or useful for visitors.

"Do you think there will be any residual things to watch for on this day (Sunday)?" why?, the demonstrations and protests are happening for a reason: the unwelcome visit of the Spanish government to the capital of Catalonia... and they're going to be leaving the same day.

In general, is it pretty easy to find a taxi at the airport?... it should be, the taxi rank at the airport has 1500 taxis :)))

I happen to be re-reading "Homage To Catalonia" right now, and in the early printing that I have there is a lengthy footnote indicating that Orwell realized that he at first misunderstood the position/role of the Guardia Civil and took a few sentences to explain to readers outside Iberia that the guards are not usually acting in the interests of the local population on certain issues. To put it diplomatically :-)