Thousands gather in Barcelona for Catalan independence rally

About 3,000 people demonstrated in Barcelona on Sunday to show their support for the independence of the autonomous region of Catalonia and to remember the independence referendum of 1 October 2017.

The vote was declared unconstitutional by Spanish authorities and was marred by clashes between people at polling centres and security forces, leading to several leaders of the Catalan independence movement being arrested. These included former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont who was charged, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.

Demonstrators also shouted slogans in favour of Puigdemont, who is due to appear in court in Sardinia, Italy, on Monday for an extradition hearing.

Puigdemont, an MEP and residing in Belgium, has been living in exile on the run from the Spanish justice system, which has charged him for alleged criminal responsibilities during the unconstitutional secessionist process of 2017.

In October 2019, the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine other Catalan leaders to prison terms of between 9 and 13 years for sedition in connection with the independence process, although they were pardoned by the Spanish government in June.

The protestors called for “continued popular mobilisation” to achieve “amnesty” and the end of “repressive impunity, both police and judicial”.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.EURACTIV.es)