People hold placards reading in Catalan "I am CDR (Committees for the Defense of the Republic)" during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday. Though the activists say they are non-violent, Spain sees their activities in a different light. A female activist was arrested this week on suspicion of terrorism while six other people were detained for public disturbances in connection with pro-independence protests in January. The defense committees were created last year in around 60 towns across Catalonia. Many have their own unique logos and separate profile pages on social media platforms, which they use to gather people to their protests.

Source: The Hindu April 13, 2018 10:22 UTC