Barcelona’s yellow fountains banned by Spanish Electoral Board

Barcelona city council has been ordered to stop bathing public fountains in yellow light after Spain’s electoral authority ruled that the colour suggested support for Catalan pro independence in the run-up to controversial elections in the region on December 21.

The election was called by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after his government had applied direct rule in Catalonia for defying Spain’s constitution by declaring independence.

Around 20 fountains across Barcelona have been glowing yellow after the council voted on November 15 to include signs of support for 10 jailed pro-independence politicians and activists in the city’s Christmas lighting programme.

When two Catalan activists were jailed in October on suspicion of sedition, independence supporters took to wearing yellow ribbons. This month, eight members of the ousted former Catalan government were also remanded in custody by a Madrid judge who accused them of rebellion and other offences in connection with the organisation of an illegal referendum on October 1.
Representatives from Mr Rajoy’s Popular Party (PP) in Barcelona took the fountain issue before the Electoral Council, a state body that oversees that rules of neutrality are obeyed during campaigns.

On Wednesday it was decided that the choice of lighting was akin to supporting a specific political option, and not a mere show of solidarity as the council led by Left-wing Mayor Ada Colau had claimed.

“It’s ridiculous that there are parties who think they can restore democratic normality by changing the colour of a fountain when there are people in prison who should be out campaigning,” said Laia Ortiz, Barcelona council’s social rights spokeswoman.
But PP councillor Alberto Fernández celebrated the decision, accusing Ms Colau of “not only insulting all Catalans in Barcelona who feel Spanish, but also infringing electoral law and violating the duty to be politically neutral”.
Mayor Colau, who supports a legal referendum on independence but has not declared herself to be in favour of secession from Spain, has also been forced to remove a banner demanding “freedom for political prisoners” from city hall after an earlier ruling by the Electoral Council. This Board is formed mainly by PP members or nominated by the PP.