Mass protest to flood streets of Barcelona today

At 5 pm today, protesters from all over Catalonia are set to take to the streets to denounce the incarceration of Catalan civil society leaders and deposed government ministers. This demonstration is planned in heart of Barcelona, and its organizers are hoping it’ll be one of the biggest yet.

The rally’s slogan is 'Llibertat presos polítics, som república' (Freedom for political prisoners, we are the republic). Indeed, the demonstration was organized by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural, pro-independence grassroots organizations whose leaders, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart respectively, are currently in prison awaiting charges for sedition. In a different trial, eight of the deposed Catalan government ministers are also incarcerated in different penitentiary centers in Madrid, pending charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. Also charged with the same was president of Catalan Parliament Carme Forcadell, who however is out on bond after paying €150,000 bail and spending one night in prison.