Yellow ribbon controversy heats up as elections loom

Pressure was mounting on the Catalan government on Wednesday afternoon to comply with the electoral authority's ruling to remove yellow ribbon symbols showing support for jailed and exiled Catalan independence leaders from official buildings.

The spokesman for the unionist Ciutadans party (Cs), which lodged the original complaint that led to the order to remove the symbols within 48 hours, reminded president Quim Torra that he had "only hours remaining" to comply with the ruling.

With three elections approaching in April and May, the electoral authority ruled on Monday that the symbols were "partisan" and gave the Catalan executive until Wednesday evening to remove the yellow ribbons from all government buildings.