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Groups of Catalan separatists have blocked roads, highways and a high-speed railway line in the region to mark the first anniversary of its unilateral and illegal independence referendum.
Activists, members of the basic committees of direct action for the defense of the Republic, have occupied the streets of Barcelona and Lleida, as well as the motorways of Madrid and France.
They also obstructed the train line between Figueres, Girona and Barcelona. Services were reinstated at 10:00 am local time.
In Girona, protesters stormed a government office, destroying the Spanish flag and replacing it with the separatist party Estelada banner (starry).
Catalan nationalist President Quim Torra made a symbolic visit to a polling station in the small town of Sant Julià de Ramis, where police prevented his predecessor Carles Puigdemont from voting last October.
Torra asked the protesters to keep up the pressure. "It all started on October 1 and everything goes back to October 1," he said. "The October 1st lesson and its values are what we need to face the weeks and months to come."
In a video message released on Monday, Puigdemont said, "Let's not move away from the only possible way to live in a full-fledged democracy: the [Catalan] republic and its international recognition. "
Catalonia remains deeply divided on the issue of independence one year after the administration of Puigdemont organized the vote in defiance of the Spanish government.
The referendum was marred by violence when agents of the Guardia Civil and the National Police stormed polling stations, beat voters with batons and fired rubber bullets.
The central government reacted to the unilateral declaration of subsequent independence by sacking Puigdemont and his cabinet, taking control of the wealthy northeastern region and calling for sweeping regional elections.
Although the independence parties retained their majority in last December's vote, the strongly Unionist Citizens Party won the most seats and polls suggest that Catalans are equally divided over the possibility of separation. from Spain.
The new socialist government of Pedro Sánchez has taken a more conciliatory approach than the Conservative government he replaced, proposing a vote on increased autonomy, but categorically excluding a referendum on self-determination or independence.
Moderate movements have also appeared in the independence movement, with moderate personalities calling for a more realistic long-term strategy to achieve a sovereign republic, while supporters of Puigdemont and Torra advance with what they see as their mandated mandate. of the referendum.
Ninety percent of voters voted for independence, but the turnout was 42%, with the Catalan unionist boycotting the vote.
However, the biggest obstacle to negotiation is the continued detention of nine leaders of Catalan independence who must be tried early next year for their role in the secession campaign.
Puigdemont fled to Belgium a few days after declaring independence, and several other pro-independence politicians remain in voluntary exile.
Spanish government ministers acknowledged that it would be better if jailed leaders were released on bail, but pointed out that it was a judicial rather than a political issue.
Monday's main event will take place at 18:30 in Barcelona.
Twenty-four people were injured Saturday in the Catalan capital – and six people were arrested – after fights at a rally organized to honor the police deployed to prevent the referendum.
