73,500 people take to streets in five pro-independence demonstrations across Catalonia

Some 73,500 pro-independence supporters took to the street of Catalonia on Wednesday in National Day demonstrations. 

This year's turnout is the lowest since these mass demonstrations began in 2012, excluding 2020, which was attended only by 59.000 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Unlike recent years, this year's march was held symoltaneously in five major cities: Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida and Tortosa.

In Barcelona, the biggest rally was attended by 60,000 people, followed by Girona with 6,500 attendees, Lleida with 3,000, Tarragona with 2,800 and Tortosa with 1,200, according to the local police forces of each city.

The protest comes at a time of crisis for the movement. Just over a month ago, the first unionist president took office in 14 years, at a time when pro-independence parties held their lowest level of support in parliament in recent years.

Under the slogan "Let's go back to the streets," the pro-independence organizing groups hoped to reunite the movement with this year's National Day. 

In Barcelona, the thousands gathered started marching from Estació de França at 4pm to Arc de Triomf, the iconic site in the city center.

"Taking on the streets has been, is, and will be the way to achieve our national freedom," organizers read after the march. 

During the event, civil society groups Assemblea, Òmnium Cultural, AMI, and other pro-independence organizations criticized political parties who "have been unable to agree on a common strategy to achieve independence."

This statement follows many discussions during past years between the main pro-independence parties, Esquerra Republicana and Junts. They used to be part of the same cabinet for some months before Junts, the junior coalition partner, left the executive in October 2022.

"A permanent battle" which ended with the government under a "Spanish regime" that denies "our right to self-determination," the text read.

 

The protest in Barcelona took place in the same place where, just over a month ago, former president Carles Puigdemont made his famous return to Catalonia before heading back to Belgium.

At this iconic spot in the heart of the city, organizers read the manifesto after 5:14 pm, a symbolic time representing the year 1714.

The rallies ended around 6pm with the Coral de la Diada choir singing the national anthem.

September 11 commemorates the fall of Barcelona to the Bourbon troops of King Philip V in 1714. On that day, Barcelona's chief councilor was severely injured while defending the city during Spain's succession war.

Among some of the demonstrators in Barcelona was Montse, who also criticized political parties as she felt disappointed even though she had attended the event.

She has been attending many rallies coinciding with 'La Diada' throughout the years, and while at the beginning, she was a little bit more "excited," her opinion on independence has never changed.

Other demonstrators were Arnau and Martina, two teens from the Catalan capital who protested as they want "the best for us" as they love Catalonia and want the "best for the territory."

Apart from calling for independence, the protests also served to highlight local issues. In Barcelona, the protest was focused on the housing issue, in Girona on a better health system, in Tarragona on better transport infrastructure, in Lleida on improving policies for farmers, and in Tortosa on stopping water spoiling.

Demonstrations to defend citizens' interests

Organizers praised Catalans for taking to the streets whenever necessary and announced they would continue to demonstrate "to defend citizens' interests."

To face the new challenges, the manifesto read that "a country's tools are required, such as finance," in reference to the finance agreement between Socialists and Esquerra Republicana to back Salvador Illa as the next president. This financial law change requires the support of the Spanish Congress.

Speakers said that having an independent Catalonia would help "defend and promote the Catalan language" or guarantee a future with housing access because being "under Spain's regime is a structural threat."

Supporters heavily cheered the stance that "independence is a project to live better."