Catalonia is a small region within the country of Spain, in which the city of Barcelona is located. Catalonia has its own language, culture and flag. Within the past couple of months, Catalonia has been voting on whether to declare independence from Spain and become its own country. The Catalonian parliament voted "yes." However, the Spanish government decided not to approve Catalonia's independence, saying that it would remain a part of Spain.
My friends and I took a three-day trip to Barcelona when all of this was happening. I remember feeling a little nervous before arriving. It was not only national news in Europe, but we had also been told, through my study abroad program, that it was not safe to go. Once we got there, we quickly realized that Barcelona was completely fine and safe!
We got to experience a very powerful time in the history of the country. If Catalonia splits off, this would not only affect Spain, but also the rest of Europe. During our three days in Barcelona, we got to experience two peaceful protests. A peaceful protest is when a group of people stand up for their beliefs and show their disapproval of an action that is happening, but without violence.
