An estimated half a million people packed the streets of Barcelona on Thursday to call for Catalonia to be separated from Spain.
The demonstration, marked Catalan National Day, the Diada. It was also a show of force in support of a independence referendum in November.
“This is a very emotional day. We all want to say that we are a nation and we want to vote to express ourselves,” Desire Carbonell told euronews.
“We want independence and above all we want to vote in November,” added Sigrid Torra.
Barcelona police say some 1.8 million people took part in the protest. Not all were in favour of a break-up come November.
“I don’t want independence, I feel Spanish and I think Catalonia is part of Spain,” said Azucena Perez.
Despite such differences, our correspondent in the city says the ambitions of the pro-independence supporters have been boosted by Scotland’s surge to break-up the United Kingdom.
Euronews reporter Cristina Giner said:
“People arrived from all over Catalonia to form a gigantic V for vote, but above all they want the Madrid government to approve a vote on November 9. The Diada of the Referendum has become a demonstration of force and strength of the Catalan people.”
