Electoral authority orders President Torra to remove yellow ribbons or face legal action

The electoral authority has given president Quim Torra 24 hours to remove yellow ribbons in support of jailed Catalan leaders from government buildings, or face possible criminal proceedings.

The decision came on Monday afternoon in response to Torra's appeal of the authority's initial order last week to remove what it referred to as "partisan symbols" in the run-up to the April 28 general election.

After the 48-hour deadline to remove the yellow ribbons expired last Wednesday, Torra appealed the authority's order, alleging that the symbols were non-partisan and are not associated with any particular political party.

The secretary for the Catalan Socialists (PSC), Salvador Illa, urged Torra to follow orders. Speaking to the press, he said the Catalan president "needs to comply with this resolution, and if he doesn’t, there are mechanisms to ensure he does." 

Ribbon on Barcelona city council

This follows a similar order given to Barcelona mayor Ada Colau to remove the yellow ribbon from the facade of the capital's city hall, which she ultimately did. 

Before Colau issued the order to remove the yellow ribbon symbol, a group of hooded people had already taken it down in the early hours of Thursday morning, although it was later returned to the building's facade.

The council justified its decision, saying it wanted to "contribute" to a climate of debate in the run-up to the elections, and for this to take place "in the terrain of politics and not in the legal sphere."