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BARCELONA: Hundreds of thousands of Catalans were set to pour into the streets Friday demanding independence, ahead of a regional election billed as an indirect vote on breaking away from Spain.
Red and yellow Catalan flags flew in towns across the northeastern region as demonstrators set out for Barcelona to march under the slogan “Let’s start building a new country.”
The show of force on Catalan national day comes at a time of high political tensions in a country recovering from a deep recession.
Polls this week showed pro-secession candidates could win a majority of seats in the Catalan parliament in ballots on September 27, even though they may fail to win the most votes.
If they win parliament, Catalan president Artur Mas has vowed to push through an 18-month roadmap to secession for the region of 7.5 million people, which accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economy.
“In your hands is the strength and the tool to mark the political future of this nation: the vote,” said Mas, a conservative who is campaigning in an alliance with left-wing nationalists.
“Once the people have spoken through their vote, we will all take on board what the majority decides.”