Thousands rally in Madrid for Spanish unity ahead of Catalonia vote

Separatists determined to go ahead with referendum vote

MADRID: Thousands of people, many waving red and yellow Spanish flags, rallied in Madrid in favor of Spanish unity on Saturday, a day before a banned referendum on independence for Catalonia.

The demonstrators gathered in the central Plaza de Cibeles, in front of the capital’s town hall, chanting “Catalonia is part of Spain!” and “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish!” — a cry usually heard during national team football matches.

Some of the demonstrators called for Catalonia’s proindependence president, Carles Puigdemont, to be jailed.

Puigdemont has vowed to push ahead with the independence vote for Catalonia, a wealthy northeastern region that is home to about 7.5 million people, even though a Spanish court has ruled that the vote is unconstitutional.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has also said the referendum is illegal and has vowed to do everything in its power to stop it.

“The state needs to explain the benefits of remaining united, instead of repeating all the time that the referendum is illegal. But there is no leader in Spain,” said Rafael Castillo, a 59-year-old engineer at the rally, wearing a scarf with the Spanish flag around his neck.

Beside him stood Fernando Cepeda, a 58-year-old engineer, who said Catalonia and Spain’s northern Basque Country already enjoyed more powers than German regions.

Catalan separatists showed determination Saturday to press ahead with an independence referendum, occupying dozens of schools designated as polling stations to stop police from closing them down.

With less than 24 hours left until the highly-anticipated vote, tensions were running high in this wealthy northeastern region where Catalan leaders have taken a stand against the central government in Madrid.