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Spanish Ambassador complains to RTE over Spanish remarks

By
DANIEL O'CARROLL,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Friday, July 23, 2010, 4:16 PM
Updated Saturday, July 24, 2010, 10:15 AM

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RTE interview causes uproar.



"I hate Spain. I am Catalan, not Spanish. Spanish people is idiot!"

Interviewee during RTE sports dispatch.

The Spanish Embassy to Ireland sent an official letter of complaint to RTE, Ireland’s national broadcasting network.

The State broadcaster called the Spaniards “idiots” on the day after they won their first ever World Cup victory against the Netherlands.

The broadcaster also said it received three e-mails and a phone call from viewers about the "anti-Spanish" tone of the Nine O' Clock News dispatch.

During the report one of the station’s soccer correspondents interviewed someone on at a street party in Barcelona who told him:"I hate Spain. I am Catalan, not Spanish."

O'Donoghue then asked: "Even after winning the World Cup?"

She replied: "Spanish people is idiot!"

RTE said that it was taking the official level of complaint very seriously and would be looking into any allegations made against the broadcaster.

A spokesperson for the station said that:

“Yes, I can confirm that we did receive a letter of complaint from the Spanish ambassador about a report that was broadcast on RTE News on Monday, 12th July, and we responded. We also received one phone call and three e-mails complaining about the report's 'anti-Spanish' tone."

Thousands of Spaniards living in Ireland took to the streets to rejoice after their national team’s victory in the biggest soccer tournament in the world.

Spain were also the first team since West Germany in 1974 to win the World Cup as reigning European champions.

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5 Comments

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catalan4ever | Aug 09, 2010, 06:07 PM EDT
To AntoniGaudi, Hey dude, I am catalan too and I cannot stay out from your lies ad manipulation. You stated: "Catalonia is a nation of over a 1000 years of history we were invaded from Spain in the year 1714" Well, that's just FALSE. In 1714, Spain was already a Nation, and Catalonia was already within Spain. In 1714, Catalonia fought ALONG with MADRID in a KING succession. In other words, In 1714 there was a Civil war between SPaniards. Some, like people from Madrid and Catalonia did support one King whereas others, like people from the south to the other King. Where the hell do you see here that Spain conquered Catalonia? Did you ever go to school? Do you really think that you can manipulate the History and lie to everybody without making a fool of yourself?

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Salvador | Jul 26, 2010, 07:10 PM EDT
This complain is the best proof that Spain loves censorship. Spain is not a democratic country. Recently Spanish court ruled that the will of catalans expressed trought a referendum is against the spanish constitution. In a democratic country this means that spanish constitution is no longer in force in Catalonia. In a dictatorship this means that the will of the people dosen't mater. Spain is a deeply franquist (the spanish version of fascism) country.

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AntoniGaudi | Jul 26, 2010, 11:39 AM EDT
Hi, there I´m a Catalan citizen from the island of Formentera, and I lived in Sligo during the year of the foot and mouth disease...The Catalans (not "Catalanians" like some say :D) have always admired the Irish people since the Eastern Rising...We are also a Spanish colony as you use to be the same from England. Our mentality is deeply democratic modern and proeuropean...Spain has a very poor democratic tradition and has always repress the will of the Catalan people by continuous "coups d´eté"...The last one, since 1939 (fascist Franco wins the war to democratic republicans) til 1975...40 years of dictatorship were Catalan language and culture were baned everywhere...Catalonia is a nation of over a 1000 years of history we were invaded from Spain in the year 1714 in the 2014 it will be already 300 years of repression and "Flamenco and bloody Corridas" I hope by then we are finally independent and we will for sure celebrate with you brave people of Ireland! By the way, who´s telling you this (like many Catalans) has half of his family coming from Spain, my dad came to Catalonia from Spain in the 1960´s from to get a job and study, but my country is only one Catalonia. Freedom for the Catalan Nation! We want a referendum like in Quebec and Montenegro right now.

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sully1167 | Jul 26, 2010, 03:18 AM EDT
Whay is it an issue with Ireland or RTE? It was a Catalanian person who stated that. RTE only broadcasted it.

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haasny007 | Jul 25, 2010, 02:24 PM EDT
Oh, Spain just take a chill pill.

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