Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets of Barcelona

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

More than 300,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets of Barcelona to call for the return of the 16 Catalan leaders who are in prison or have fled the country in the aftermath of last October’s unilateral independence referendum.



Sunday’s mass demonstration, which was called by the two main Catalan pro-independence groups and backed by the regional branches of Spain’s two biggest unions, took place under the slogan “For rights and freedoms, for democracy and cohesion, we want you home!”

Police put attendance at 315,000 while the organisers said 750,000 people had turned out to take part in the protest, with the city’s streets once again filled with people dressed in yellow clutching pro-independence estelada flags.

The former regional president, Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium at the end of October and is on bail in Germany, tweeted that the march was “a great civic and democratic demonstration”, adding: “We are European citizens who just want to live in peace, free and without fear.”

Elsa Artadi, a spokeswoman for Puigdemont’s Together for Catalonia party, said the event put paid to suggestions that the independence movement was running out of steam.

“We’re once again showing all those who say that the movement is demobilising, or that people are tired, that things aren’t that way,” she said. “We’re here today because there are 16 people in prison or in exile for defending political ideas that represent 2 million people.”

Alex de Ferrer, a 50-year-old IT specialist, told Agence France Presse that he had decided to join the protest as jailing separatist leaders “only serves to manufacture separatists”.

While conceding that the arrests of prominent Catalan leaders on possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds had left the independence movement “decapitated”, he said the setback was only temporary.

The involvement of the Catalan branches of the Workers’ Commissions and General Workers’ Union was not universally endorsed as some members oppose the region’s secession.

But the regional secretary general of the latter defended the move. “The majority of Catalans, regardless of their political position, agree that pre-trial jail is not justified,” said Camil Ros. “What we as labour unions are asking for now is dialogue.”

The protest came almost six months after the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, responded to the illegal referendum and subsequent unilateral declaration of independence by sacking Puigdemont’s government and taking direct control of the region.



Rajoy also called elections in December, a move that backfired after the pro-independence bloc retained its parliamentary majority. Repeated attempts to form a new Catalan government have come to nothing as Puigdemont remains in self-imposed exile and two other presidential candidates – Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Turull – are on remand.

Despite the huge turnout and the talk of cohesion and coexistence, polls suggest Catalans remain deeply and almost evenly divided over the notion of seceding from Spain.

While the overwhelming majority of people in the region favour a legal referendum agreed between Madrid and Barcelona, a recent survey found that support for independence dropped from 48.7% last October to 40.8% in February this year.

An anti-independence rally held in Barcelona last November attracted hundreds of thousands of protesters. Police put attendance at 350,000; organisers said 930,000 people took part.



</s>Pro-independence supporters raise banners as they attend a demonstration in Barcelona Thomson Reuters BARCELONA (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Catalan independence supporters flooded the streets of Barcelona on Sunday calling for the release of jailed separatist leaders after a supreme court ruling frustrated their latest attempt to elect a regional leader. Around 350,000 demonstrators clogged several main city arteries waving flags and wearing yellow in support of separatist leaders jailed for their role in the region's banned drive to split from Spain last year.

Among the politicians facing charges of rebellion is Jordi Sanchez, the latest candidate put forward by Catalan lawmakers to become leader of the region.Supreme court judge Pablo Llarena refused last week to release him from jail and he faces up to 25 years on charges of rebellion, marking the latest of four unsuccessful attempts to elect a new leader. If a new leader is not named before the end of May, Catalonia will be forced to call another election.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

5 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

Hundreds of thousands of Catalan independence supporters flooded the streets of Barcelona on Sunday calling for the release of jailed separatist leaders after a supreme court ruling frustrated their latest attempt to elect a regional leader.

BARCELONA: Hundreds of thousands of Catalan independence supporters flooded the streets of Barcelona on Sunday calling for the release of jailed separatist leaders after a supreme court ruling frustrated their latest attempt to elect a regional leader.

Around 350,000 demonstrators clogged several main city arteries waving flags and wearing yellow in support of separatist leaders jailed for their role in the region's banned drive to split from Spain last year. (Full Story)

Among the politicians facing charges of rebellion is Jordi Sanchez, the latest candidate put forward by Catalan lawmakers to become leader of the region. (Full Story)

Supreme court judge Pablo Llarena refused last week to release him from jail and he faces up to 25 years on charges of rebellion, marking the latest of four unsuccessful attempts to elect a new leader.

If a new leader is not named before the end of May, Catalonia will be forced to call another election.</s>BARCELONA (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Catalan independence supporters flooded the streets of Barcelona on Sunday calling for the release of jailed separatist leaders after a supreme court ruling frustrated their latest attempt to elect a regional leader. Around 350,000 demonstrators clogged several main city arteries waving flags and wearing yellow in support of separatist leaders jailed for their role in the wealthy region's banned drive to split from Spain last year. [nL8N1R709G]

Among the politicians facing charges of rebellion is Jordi Sanchez, the latest candidate put forward by Catalan lawmakers to become leader of the region. [nL8N1PP2G5]

 Catalonia's struggle to find a leader began after it declared independence in October. Spanish courts ruled the declaration was illegal, took direct control of the region and called for new elections.

 Supreme court judge Pablo Llarena refused last week to release him from jail and he faces up to 25 years on charges of rebellion, marking the latest of four unsuccessful attempts to elect a new leader. If a new leader is not named before the end of May, Catalonia will be forced to call another election.

 In his first interview since a German court ruled that he would not be extradited to Spain to face charges of rebellion, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said that the region should avoid returning to the polls.

 "It's our obligation to look for a way to avoid further elections," Puigdemont said in an interview with Catalan television TV3 recorded in Berlin and broadcast late on Sunday. "But there is not a zero risk of this happening because there is another party involved, and that's the Spanish government."

 

 (Reporting by Sam Edwards; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Sandra Maler)</s>Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Barcelona’s Placa d’Espanya on April 15 to demand the release of Catalan leaders arrested after 2017’s failed independence referendum.Police in Barcelona said that some 315,000 people had taken part in the demonstration. Protesters came out on the streets in opposition to the pre-trial detention of independence leaders.The demonstration was organised by the National Catalan Assembly and Omnium, a Catalan cultural association. Leaders from both groups were jailed following the referendum.Former president of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont tweeted his support for the demonstration from Germany, where he was arrested last month on an international warrant. Puigdemont had been in self-imposed exile in Belgium since he was removed from office in 2017, but he was arrested when he crossed into Germany while returning to Belgium from a business trip to Finland.A German court ruled that he could not be extradited to Spain on rebellion charges but is still considering an extradition on charges of corruption. The court has ordered him to remain in Germany and check in with police weekly. Credit: Mireia Rosés via Storyful</s>Hundreds of thousands of protesters in Barcelona have taken part in a large demonstration against the imprisonment of Catalan leaders.

According to local media reports, 900 buses arrived in the city on Sunday morning carrying the protesters from all over Catalonia and cities in southern France.

The demonstrators were protesting the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders who are also facing trial on charges of "rebellion".

While the police said around 315,000 people turned up for the protests, organisers put the figure at more than 700,000, according to local media.

Catalan organisations Omnium Cultural and the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) called these protests to mark six months since the arrest of two grassroots pro-independence activists.

The activists, Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, were imprisoned for their role in the independence referendum in October last year.

Chanting "Freedom for the political prisoners", the demonstrators marched along Parallel Avenue, a main thoroughfare, many waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag.

"Today’s demonstration is a march against repression, and we want to show once again that we are not a violent movement," Lidia Cerda, a teacher who was part of the protests, told Al Jazeera.

"We expect that a lot of people from Spanish and Catalan societies will join our cause because we are not only fighting for independence, but also for democracy.

"We hope that the government in Madrid will start listening to us."

European Union leaders have avoided encouraging other separatist movements across the bloc and have declined a mediation role in the Catalan issue.

Last November, European Council President Donald Tusk said, "All of us have our own emotions, opinions, assessments, but formally speaking there is no space for an EU intervention."

However, another protester, Xavier Cid Pineiro, argued, "Europe can guarantee our political rights as European citizens."

"Sooner or later, the EU should act as a mediator between Madrid and Barcelona. The demonstrations of today are against repression, to demand freedom for our political prisoners and to denounce the passivity of the EU," said Pineiro.

"I only hope that the EU will see this movement and that we can show our solidarity with political prisoners and their families."

Spain's government suspended Catalonia’s autonomy and imposed direct rule after the region's leader threatened to go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid refused to hold talks.

Last Thursday, Spain's Supreme Court refused to release Sanchez, preventing him being named as leader of the region on Friday.

If a new leader is not named before the end of May, Catalonia will be forced to call another election.

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was arrested by German police on March 25 after an international arrest warrant against him was issued by Spain's Supreme Court.

Puigdemont was charged with misuse of public funds in relation to the independence declaration, as well as "rebellion", a charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.

However, he was released on bail while awaiting a court decision on whether to extradite him to Spain. He had hoped to eventually return to live in Belgium.</s>Huge rally in Barcelona to demand jailed separatists go free

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Catalan separatists rallied in downtown Barcelona on Sunday to demand the release of high-profile secessionist leaders being held in pre-trial detention.

Protesters waved Catalan separatist flags behind a huge banner that read "for rights and liberties, for democracy and unity, we want them back home!"

The demonstration was organized by two pro-independence grassroots groups, the National Catalan Assembly and Omnium, whose presidents are among the nine separatists in prison awaiting trial for their roles in last year's failed breakaway bid by the northeastern Spanish region.

The regional chapters of Spain's two leading labor unions, along with other civil society groups, supported the protest despite the complaints from some members who don't want secession for Catalonia. Barcelona police said 315,000 people participated in the protest.

"The majority of Catalans, regardless of their political position, agree that pre-trial jail is not justified," said regional UGT union leader Camil Ros. "What we as labor unions are asking for now is dialogue."

The secession movement in the wealthy region has plunged Spain into its deepest institutional crisis in decades.

Separatist lawmakers defied court orders and held an ad-hoc referendum on independence in October. Their subsequent declaration of independence for the region led to a crackdown by Spanish authorities acting to defend the Spanish Constitution, which declares the nation "indivisible."

Pro-independence parties retained a slim majority in Catalonia's parliament after an election in December, but courts have blocked their attempts to elect as regional chief any lawmaker who is either behind bars or has fled the country.

The latest opinion poll published by the Catalan government in February said that support for independence had decreased to 40 percent from near 49 percent in October. The poll surveyed 1,200 people and had a margin of error of 2.8 percent.</s>Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in downtown Barcelona on Sunday to demand the release of high-profile secessionist Catalan leaders being held in pre-trial detention.

Chanting "Freedom for the political prisoners," they marched along Parallel Avenue, a main thoroughfare, many waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag.

The protest comes six months after the first incarcerations of top Catalan separatist leaders for misuse of public funds, sedition and rebellion -- which carries a prison sentence of 30 years and implies that a "violent uprising" took place -- over their separatist push.

"Since they could not decapitate separatism, they are trying to do it through the courts," Roser Urgelles, a 59-year-old teacher, told AFP at the protest.

"They need to demonstrate that there was violence to execute the sentences that they want, so they invent it," she said, adding: "But we will continue to protest peacefully."

Like thousands of others at the march, she wore a yellow ribbon to show solidarity with the jailed leaders, whom Catalan separatists consider to be "political prisoners."

Spain's justice minister, Rafael Catala, has called the use of yellow ribbons "insulting," arguing that Spain has no political prisoners but "politicians in prison".

The Guardia Urbana, a Catalan municipal police force, said 315,000 people turned out.

The demonstration was organized by two grassroots independence groups, the ANC and Omnium, whose presidents are among the nine separatist leaders in prison awaiting trial over their role in last year's failed breakaway bid by Catalonia.

A total of 957 buses brought protesters from across the wealthy northeastern region of Spain to Barcelona, the Catalan capital, for the march, the ANC said in a statement.

The protest was backed by the Catalan branches of Spain's two largest trade unions, the CCOO and the UGT, sparking unease among union members who oppose independence.

"There have been tensions [among unions members] just like in the rest of the Catalan society," the secretary general of the Catalan branch of UGT, Camil Ros, told AFP.

"But it is not a separatist protest. It is time to build bridges and the Catalan problem cannot be solved through the courts but by dialogue and politics."

The demonstration comes ten days after a German court dismissed an extradition request for Catalonia's ousted separatist president Carles Puigdemont on grounds of rebellion and released him on bail.

Spanish prosecutors last week handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence which would justify the rebellion charge against Puigdemont and their extradition request.

Puigdemont is also accused of misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on Oct. 1 despite it having been ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

Alex de Ferrer, a 50-year-old IT specialist, said he`planned to take part in the protest because jailing separatist leaders "only serves to manufacture separatists."

The independence movement is "a bit decapitated" following the arrests of its leaders but "this is temporary," added de Ferrer, who supports leftist separatist party ERC, whose leader Oriol Junqueras is in jail.

The secession movement in the wealthy region has plunged Spain into its deepest institutional crisis in decades.

Separatist lawmakers defied court orders and held an ad-hoc referendum on independence in October. Their subsequent declaration of independence for the region led to a crackdown by Spanish authorities acting to defend the Spanish Constitution, which declares the nation "indivisible."

Pro-independence parties retained a slim majority in Catalonia's parliament after an election in December, but courts have blocked their attempts to elect as regional chief any lawmaker who is either behind bars or has fled the country.

Seven other Catalan separatist leaders are in jail in Spain while they await trial for rebellion, along with the two leaders of the grassroots separatist groups.

The latest opinion poll published by the Catalan government in February said that support for independence had decreased to 40 percent from near 49 percent in October. The poll surveyed 1,200 people and had a margin of error of 2.8 percent.

Fresh regional elections will be triggered if a new leader is not elected by May 22.

In a letter sent from prison, former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras said that immediately forming a government was "a necessity" so that Catalonia could regain its political autonomy.</s>Thousands march in Barcelona to protest jailing of separatist leaders

Thousands of people began marching in Barcelona on Sunday to protest the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders facing trial on “rebellion” charges.

Many chanted “Freedom for the political prisoners” as they massed on the Parallel Avenue, one of the city’s main streets, wearing yellow scarves, sweaters or jackets the colour chosen to show solidarity with the jailed leaders.

The march was called by a platform set up in March to “defend Catalan institutions” and “the rights and fundamental freedoms” of its citizens.

The protest was backed by the Catalan branches of Spain’s two largest trade unions, the CCOO and the UGT, sparking unease among union members who oppose independence for the wealthy northeastern region.

“There have been tensions (among unions members) just like in the rest of the Catalan society,” the secretary general of the Catalan branch of UGT, Camil Ros, told AFP on Saturday on the eve of the march.

“But it is not a separatist protest. It is time to build bridges and the Catalan problem cannot be solved through the courts but by dialogue and politics,” he added.

‘Manufacture separatists’ 

 The demonstration comes ten days after a German court dismissed an extradition request for Catalonia’s ousted separatist president Carles Puigdemont on grounds of rebellion and released him on bail.

Spanish prosecutors last week handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence which would justify the rebellion charge against Puigdemont and their extradition request.

Puigdemont is also accused of misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 despite it having been ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

Alex de Ferrer, a 50-year-old IT specialist, said he`planned to take part in the protest because jailing separatist leaders “only serves to manufacture separatists”.

The independence movement is “a bit decapitated” following the arrests of its leaders but “this is temporary”, added de Ferrer, who supports leftist separatist party ERC, whose leader Oriol Junqueras is in jail.

Across Catalonia people are wearing yellow ribbons or displaying posters of yellow ribbons from their balconies and windows in sign of support for the nine jailed separatist leaders, who they consider to be “political prisoners”.

Spain’s justice minister, Rafael Catala, has called the use of yellow ribbons “insulting”, arguing there are no political prisoners in Spain, instead there are “politicians in prison”.

Political limbo 

 Since October 16 the leaders of Catalonia’s two largest pro-independence groups — Jordi Sanchez of the ANC and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Jordi Cuixart have been in jail while they await their trial for rebellion.

Prosecutors say the two men played central roles in orchestrating pro-independence protests in September in Barcelona which trapped national police inside a government building and destroyed their vehicles.

They are also accused of mobilising thousands of pro-independence supporters to prevent police from stopping the October 1 independence referendum from going ahead.”What makes me sad is the accusation of violence, which never existed,” Sanchez said in December on Twitter.

He was elected as a lawmaker in snap polls in Catalonia in December and has been proposed two times as a candidate to lead a new Catalan regional government but a judge refused both times to allow him to leave jail to be sworn in.

Six other Catalan separatist leaders are in jail in Spain for rebellion, along with Junqueras and the leaders of the grassroots separatist groups.

Catalonia has been in political limbo since Spain’s conservative central government imposed direct rule on the region after it unilaterally declared independence in October.Fresh regional elections will be triggered if a new leader is not elected by May 22.

Do you have something awesome to share with the world? Click here to share

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer? Click here to ask

Also, Like us on facebook

This post was syndicated from The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper – Nigeria and World News. Click here to read the full text on the original website.</s>Barcelona (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Barcelona on Sunday to protest the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders facing trial on "rebellion" charges.

Chanting "Freedom for the political prisoners", they marched along Parallel Avenue, a main thoroughfare, many waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag.

The protest comes six months after the first incarcerations of top Catalan separatist leaders for misuse of public funds, sedition and rebellion -- which carries a prison sentence of 30 years and implies that a "violent uprising" took place -- over their separatist push.

"Since they could not decapitate separatism, they are trying to do it through the courts," Roser Urgelles, a 59-year-old teacher, told AFP at the protest.

"They need to demonstrate that there was violence to execute the sentences that they want, so they invent it," she said, adding: "But we will continue to protest peacefully."

Like thousands of others at the march, she wore a yellow ribbon to show solidarity with the jailed leaders, whom Catalan separatists consider to be "political prisoners".

Spain's justice minister, Rafael Catala, has called the use of yellow ribbons "insulting", arguing that Spain has no political prisoners but "politicians in prison".

The Guardia Urbana, a Catalan municipal police force, said 315,000 people turned out.

The demonstration was organised by two grassroots independence groups, the ANC and Omnium, whose presidents are among the nine separatist leaders in prison awaiting trial over their role in last year's failed breakaway bid by Catalonia.

A total of 957 buses brought protesters from across the wealthy northeastern region of Spain to Barcelona, the Catalan capital, for the march, the ANC said in a statement.

The protest was backed by the Catalan branches of Spain's two largest trade unions, the CCOO and the UGT, sparking unease among union members who oppose independence.

"There have been tensions (among unions members) just like in the rest of the Catalan society," the secretary general of the Catalan branch of UGT, Camil Ros, told AFP.

"But it is not a separatist protest. It is time to build bridges and the Catalan problem cannot be solved through the courts but by dialogue and politics."

The demonstration comes 10 days after a German court dismissed an extradition request for Catalonia's ousted separatist president Carles Puigdemont on grounds of rebellion and released him on bail.

Spanish prosecutors last week handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence which would justify the rebellion charge against Puigdemont and their extradition request.

Puigdemont is also accused of misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 even though the courts had ruled it unconstitutional.

He tweeted from Germany that the march was "a great civic and democratic demonstration".

"We are European citizens who just want to live in peace, free and without fear," he added.

Since October 16 the leaders of Catalonia's two largest pro-independence groups -- Jordi Sanchez of the ANC and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Jordi Cuixart -- have been in jail while they await their trial for rebellion.

Prosecutors say the two men played central roles in orchestrating pro-independence protests in September in Barcelona during which national police were trapped inside a government building for several hours and their vehicles were destroyed.

They are also accused of mobilising thousands of pro-independence supporters to prevent police from stopping the October 1 independence referendum from going ahead.

"What makes me sad is the accusation of violence, which never existed," Sanchez said in December on Twitter.

He was elected as a lawmaker in snap polls in Catalonia in December and has twice been proposed as a candidate to lead a new Catalan regional government, but a judge refused both times to allow him to leave jail to be sworn in.

Seven other Catalan separatist leaders are in jail in Spain while they await trial for rebellion, along with the two leaders of the grassroots separatist groups.

Catalonia has been in political limbo since Spain's conservative central government imposed direct rule on the region after it unilaterally declared independence in October.

Fresh regional elections will be triggered if a new leader is not elected by May 22.

In a letter sent from prison, former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras said that immediately forming a government was "a necessity" so that Catalonia could regain its political autonomy.
315,000 demonstrators in Barcelona demand the freedom of jailed separatist leaders and freedom of speech.