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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
315,000 demonstrators in Barcelona demand the freedom of jailed separatist leaders and freedom of speech.