WEB DESK
Hundreds of thousands of supporters of a unified nation filled Barcelona’s streets yesterday in one of the biggest shows of force as regional political leaders push for Catalan independence.
Political parties opposing a split by Catalonia from Spain had a small lead in an opinion poll published yesterday, the first since Madrid called a regional election to try to resolve the country’s worst political crisis in four decades.
Spain’s central government called an election for December 21 after sacking Catalonia’s president Carles Puigdemont, dissolving its parliament and dismissing its government.
At the rally, former European Parliament president Josep Borrell called for unionist voters to turn out in December to ensure independence supporters lose their stranglehold on the regional parliament.
European countries, the United States and Mexico have also rejected the Catalan declaration of independence and expressed support for Spain’s unity.
Organizers said their goal was to defend Spain’s unity and reject “an unprecedented attack in the history of democracy.” Members of the central government and main pro-union parties joined tens of thousands of people in the march, with the slogan “We are all Catalonia. Common sense for coexistence!”
Ines Arramadas, the leader of Catalonia’s main opposition party Ciudadanos told journalists at the march that most Catalonians wished to “recover our future,” Arramadas said. “Today the silenced majority of Catalonia returns to the streets. It once again shows with dignity and respect, that the majority of Catalans feel Catalan, Spanish and European.”