Catalan separatists march as independence vote nears

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Catalan separatists took to the streets of Barcelona on Monday to demand independence from Spain, three weeks ahead of a referendum banned by the central government.

Around 400,000 people had signed up to join the demonstration as the struggle between the wealthy northeastern province and Madrid intensifies.

Draped in red, yellow and blue separatist flags, protesters marched through the city in what many hope will be the last protest before independence.

People wave "Esteladas" (pro-independence Catalan flags) during a pro-independence demonstration, on September 11, 2017, in Barcelona during the National Day of Catalonia. /AFP Photo

The protest coincides with Catalonia's national day, the "Diada", which marks the fall of Barcelona in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714 and the region's subsequent loss of institutions and freedoms.

Since 2012 the holiday has been used by separatists to press for an independent state.

"There are 20 days left (until the referendum) and the mobilisation that prompted this process remains intact," Catalonia's pro-independence president Carles Puigdemont told reporters.

Those against independence complained that a day meant for all Catalans had been hijacked by the separatists – and even more so this year ahead of the referendum.

A woman sits in a wheelchair sporting an "Estelada" (pro-independence Catalan flags) is helped by another during a demonstration on September 11, 2017, in Barcelona during the National Day of Catalonia. /AFP Photo

"The theme of today's protest is 'Diada of the Yes'," Ines Arrimadas, the leader in Catalonia of the anti-independence Ciudadanos party, said on Spanish television. "That means that those of us who aren't in favor of independence cannot participate."

If the "Yes" side wins the vote, Catalonia's regional government has vowed to declare independence within 48 hours and set about building a sovereign state.

With Spain's central government promising to block the referendum, the pro-independence camp is keen to show that it can rally its troops – especially after participation in the "Diada" declined last year.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government argues the vote violates the constitution, which states that only central authorities can call a referendum.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government is deeply opposed to the Catalan independence vote. /AFP Photo

Following a legal challenge from his government, Spain's Constitutional Court suspended a referendum law that was fast-tracked through Catalonia's regional parliament on Wednesday.

Catalan society is deeply divided over independence.

In a survey by the Catalan Centre of Opinion Studies in July, 41.1 percent backed independence while 49.9 percent rejected it. Some 70 percent wanted a referendum, however, to settle the question once and for all.

A banner reading "Independence Now" is carried as thousands of people gather for a rally on Catalonia's national day 'La Diada' in Barcelona, Spain, September 11, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Like the referendum held in Britain last year on the country's membership in the European Union, the issue in Catalonia pits rural areas – which are more pro-independence – against large urban centers like Barcelona that are more in favor of remaining in Spain.

Catalonia, which is roughly the same size as Belgium and has its own language and customs, already has significant powers over matters such as education and healthcare.

But Spain's economic problems, coupled with a perception that the wealthy region's 7.5 million people pay more in taxes to Madrid than they get in return, have pushed the independence question to the center stage.

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Source(s): AFP