For the sixth successive year, Catalonia’s national day – La Diada de Catalunya – was used as a political rally by the pro-independence movement. Organisers said 450,000 people had registered for the event, and Barcelona police later tweeted that 1 million turned up. A survey at the end of July found that 49.4% of Catalans were against independence and 41.1% supported it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Catalans wave estelada flags during La Diada. “There are just 20 days to go.”Raül Romeva, the Catalan foreign affairs minister, told reporters that the referendum had already begun, with expatriate Catalans voting by post.

Source: The Guardian September 11, 2017 17:48 UTC