Tens of thousands who want Catalonia to remain part of Spain rally in downtown Barcelona, two days after a separatist majority in Catalonia’s parliament voted for the wealthy region to secede.
Organizers say the march’s goal is to defend Spain’s unity and reject “an unprecedented attack in the history of democracy.” Leaders of rival pro-union parties from the ruling conservatives, the pro-business liberals and the socialists have joined together under the slogan “We are all Catalonia. Common sense for coexistence!”
People hold signs reading “No to the impunity of coup plotters” and “(Catalan regional president Carles) Puigdemont to prison” while waving Spanish flags during a demonstration calling for unity at Plaza de Colon in Madrid on October 28, 2017, a day after direct control was imposed on Catalonia over a bid to break away from Spain. ( AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO)
Grassroots group Societat Civil Catalan called for those who oppose Catalonia from breaking away to march. Demonstrators, many waving Spanish, Catalan and European Union flags, flooded a central boulevard. The mood was festive and jubilant, with no incidents reported.
Three weeks ago, the same group organized a mass rally that brought hundreds of thousands onto Barcelona’s streets. That was by far the largest pro-union show of force in Catalonia in recent years, in contrast to huge rallies by separatists.
— AFP
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