MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Groups of people built human arrowheads in anticipation of a massive pro-independence demonstration "Gateway to the Catalan Republic" to be held in Barcelona on Catalonia’s National Day, September 11.
Upcoming Sep local election in #Catalonia may bring the majority opting for its political & economic independence. pic.twitter.com/40VlEdEtrL
— Jakub Borowski (@_Jakub_Borowski) 24 августа 2015
The Catalan National Assembly (ANC), organizing the events, states that these human arrowheads "aim to demand the right of the Catalan people to vote on independence democratically and peacefully."
Catalan independence flags everywhere you look in Barcelona. Every balcony. No love for the Spanish state here. pic.twitter.com/VAVMJ7mw9s
— Will (@WillMcHoebag) 19 августа 2015
According to photos published on corresponding Facebook event pages, over a hundred people took to the streets in Amsterdam, while rallies in Quito (Ecuador), Parana (Argentina) and Berlin gathered dozens of activists.
Prior to the upcoming celebration in Barcelona, Catalonia’s independence supporters will hold rallies in 17 cities of the United States as well as in Switzerland, the UAE, Australia, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Norway, El Salvador, France, Thailand and Canada.
@larazon_es La independencia de Cataluña SI @DefensaNacional ya que Cataluña no es España:) pic.twitter.com/tnvdZaGMGd
— Estado Catalán (@Estado_Catalan) 17 июля 2015
Catalonia has long sought independence from Spain, accusing Madrid of constraining its economic and cultural autonomy and of unfairly distributing resources.
Over 80 percent of Catalans who participated in a November 2014 vote supported secession from Spain. More than two million people out of an estimated 5.4 million eligible voters took part in the informal, non-binding ballot.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has repeatedly said that Catalonia’s secession would be illegal.
