People dressed in white gathered in both cities on Saturday under the slogan “Shall we talk?” in a message to Spain’s political leaders. Organisers of the rallies had asked people to not bring any flags, neither Spanish nor Catalan, and to wear white clothing. Miquel Iceta, the leader of the Catalan arm of the Spanish Socialist party, said: “We have to find a new way forward. If Catalonia does declare independence, Spain could suspend the region’s existing autonomous status and impose direct rule from Madrid. Madrid passed a measure on Friday making it easier for businesses to move their legal bases from one region to another.

Source: The Guardian October 07, 2017 13:05 UTC