700,000 people gathered in the annual National Day pro-independence
rally in Barcelona, according to the the organizing grassroots
organization, ANC. local police. Thus, the march was joined by 300,000
more people than last year, when the organizers estimated that 400,000
had marched in the streets. According to local police, the figure was
150,000, which is also higher than their calculations in 2021.
Every September 11, the attendance in the demonstration has been one
of the key facts to know the level of engagement among Catalans over the
independence campaign. The rally in 2014 marks the peak number of
attendees, with 1.8 million, according to the local police, which stood
for almost a quarter of the total population in the country. Yet, these
numbers have been declining especially after the referendum and
independence push in October 2017, with the pandemic also playing its
role.
The rally began in Paral·lel avenue and ended in the Estació de
França station, by the Ciutadella Park, where the Catalan parliament is
located. The atmosphere was at all times cheerful and peaceful, with
chants of independence, against governing parties, and some attendees
supporting exiled president Carles Puigdemont. You can see some pictures
of the rally here at the Catalan version of VilaWeb.
Independence or elections
When the event ended, ANC’s president Dolors Feliu demanded
“independence or elections” to the two parties in cabinet, which are
also favoring a split from Spain. During her speech, she said that 5
years after the 2017 independence referendum many people have run out of
patience and she hinted at the creation of a new party, while many
rally-goers spontaneously chanted “government, step down.”
Yesterday’s rally and Feliu’s ultimatum imply a move forward by the
ANC in a delicate political moment, when ERC and Junts are negotiating a
way not to derail the government agreement, although Junts is
considering the possibility of leaving it. There is still a lot of
legislation ahead, although next year there will be local and Spanish
parliamentary elections, and a possible economic recession is looming
and will shake the foundations of all political institutions.
President Aragonès did not attend the rally “because it is against
[pro-independence] parties and not against Spain.” This is a major
evidence that campaigners for a split with Spain are divided between
those prioritizing talks with Madrid, including Aragonès, and those who
say confrontation would be a much more effective way ahead. Indeed, the
official manifesto for the protest, organized by grassroots organization
ANC, criticizes the handling of the independence campaign by the
parties leading it. It is the first time since 2015 that a Catalan
president fails to attend the march.
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