National Day protest to urge unity in pro-independence camp

'Objective: Independence' is the slogan for this year's demonstration to be held on Catalonia's National Day, on September 11, with the organizers urging pro-independence political parties and groups to adopt a "joint strategy."

In the past few years, the national celebrations on September 11 have become a focal point for tens of thousands of people to turn out on the streets of Barcelona to show their support for Catalonia's independence from Spain.

This year's protest will take place in the capital's Plaça Espanya, where a number of Barcelona's main avenues meet. According to Catalan National Assembly (ANC) head, Elisenda Paluzie, the square represents "a meeting point that is independence."

During the presentation of the plans for September 11, Paluzie also argued for the need for a united front among pro-independence groups as an "essential" strategy without which "we will never achieve independence."