Published: Less than 20 min ago
Separatists in Catalonia gathered on Sunday for a protest against the Spanish central government in Madrid and around 150,000 marched demanding independence.
The demonstration was at the same time an attempt to give strength to a movement that has fallen recently after the tumultuous attempts to enforce independence five years ago.
Around 150,000 people gathered in Barcelona, capital of the region, with renewed demands for increased independence.
Catalonia’s National Day on September 11 is also an annual day of demonstrations. Protests five years ago gathered half a million followers, while today’s protests are marked by increased disagreement within the separatist movement about which path to choose in the struggle.
Catalonia’s regional leader Pere Aragonès chose not to attend as a leading association for Catalan independence, the ANC, opposes ongoing talks with the central regime in Madrid.
ANC leader Dolors Feliu chooses a confrontational stance:
– If we wait for approval from the Spanish state, we will get nowhere.