Independence march: Barcelona turns out to celebrate Catalan National Day

Pro-independence demonstrators fill La Diagonal, one Barcelona’s main avenues, during Catalan National Day celebrations in the city yesterday. Catalan authorities made a call to flood the streets of Barcelona to demand freedom for Catalan politicians in jail and in support of independence from Spain. “Diada” – 11 September – marks the fall of the Catalan capital to Spanish forces in 1714.

It comes nearly a year after an illegal referendum on secession held by Catalan authorities which led to an ineffective independence declaration that received no international recognition.