3000-strong march in Barcelona commemorates 2017 strike in wake of independence referendum

Around 3,000 people took part in a demonstration in Barcelona on Sunday, organized by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) to commemorate the general strike of October 3, 2017, according to figures from the Guàrdia Urbana police.

That strike was in response to the police violence that marked Catalonia's referendum on independence four years ago – a vote which had been deemed illegal by the Spanish courts.

ANC president Elisenda Paluzie highlighted the importance of the strike, which she said was an example of how far "all the people organized together" can go. She highlighted the role played by civil society on that day.

During the demonstration, chants were heard in support of former president Carles Puigdemont, who appears in court in Sardinia on Monday, and against the ongoing talks between Catalonia and Spain.