Catalans Rally in Support of Independence from Spain
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Catalonia to support a break from Spain which local leaders want to deliver for next year in spite of legal blocks by the central government.
Catalans gathered in five cities across the northeastern region on Sunday, including Barcelona, and waved yellow banners in time to music, symbolizing the rhythm of a beating heart uniting an independent republic.
Police said that in Barcelona alone about 540,000 people took part. The mass rally on Catalonia's national day, La Diada, comes as the pro-independence local assembly vows to press ahead with plans to form a new state in 2017, raising pressure on leaders in Madrid to respond at a time of disarray in national politics.
The long-simmering separatist movement, in a region that produces about a fifth of Spain's economic output, erupted in 2012 during a deep economic crisis and a stand-off with Madrid over demands for more autonomy, according to Reuters.
Catalonia, home to 7.5 million people, has its own language and distinct culture, as well as a long-standing industrial tradition and a thriving tourism sector.