Four arrested on suspicion of planning pro-independence protest during La Vuelta

Spanish police arrested four people from the county of Osona in central Catalonia on Saturday and searched their homes as they were suspected of planning a pro-independence protest during the La Vuelta cycling race as it passed through Catalonia. 

Martí Mayoral, a spokesperson for the Alerta Solidària organization which supports pro-independence activism, explained on Sunday that the group's lawyer was prevented from visiting the group until this morning when their statements were taken. 

Mayoral also explained at a rally outside the Verneda police station in Barcelona that those arrested were present during the search of their homes which lasted four hours. The agents confiscated computer equipment. 

"We don't know exactly what they are being accused of, what action or how they wanted to do it. We also don't know if they belonged to any collective or group," Mayoral said.

The group, four adult men according to Alerta Solidària, are due in court on Sunday.

Pro-independence politicians have backed the four arrested. JxCat general secretary Jordi Turull asked for the immediate release of those arrested, arguing that "protesting is not a crime," while ERC's Marta Rovira also demanded their freedom.

La Vuelta stage two takes place on Sunday, running from Mataró, north of Barcelona, through Sabadell, Manresa, and finishing in Barcelona.