[ad_1]
By RENATA BRITO and ARITZ PARRA
SANT JULIA DE RAMIS, Spain (AP) – Activists have blocked railway lines, students running out of classes and supporters of Catalonia who were separating from Spain marched Monday to mark the day. anniversary of a referendum being part of a thwarted independence attempt of last year.
The evening march to Barcelona, the capital of the region, attracted what the local police estimated to be a crowd of 180,000 people. A spontaneous spin-off sparked a tense stand-off between the police and protesters, ending a day of noisy and largely non-violent demonstrations.
The anniversary of the event that triggered the most serious political crisis in Spain for decades was marked by a fractured Catalan independence movement amid delicate discussions about the future of the region with the center-left socialist government from the country.
Last year 's referendum in Catalonia, declared illegal by a court, was stopped by the Spanish police and failed in its attempt to produce a separate Catalan state. For many Catalans, voting has become the symbol of their long struggle for self-determination.
As part of a year-long celebrations in the region, activists blocked roads and other major transportation routes, while college and high school students boycotted classes and delivered emotional speeches at school demonstrations. mass. The evening transformed Barcelona's city center into a colorful parade of streamers and flags.
Several thousand people attended the follow-up demonstration held in front of the National Police Headquarters and launched insults and small fireworks on the sidewalk of the riot police. The impasse continued late into the night.
Outside the Catalan parliament, protesters cut police barriers and staged a sit-in when police reinforcements took a stand, the Spanish media reported.
In Girona, north of Barcelona, protesters threw colored powders at the police and dropped gates.
Earlier in the day, supporters of secession made their voices heard loud and clear. In Barcelona, thousands of students walked behind a banner all over the street that said "Do not forget, do not forgive".
They shouted "Freedom for Political Prisoners," a reference to separatist leaders who have been in custody for nearly a year for rebellion and other charges.
Maria Vila, a protester who placed "Republic under construction" stickers in one of Barcelona's main roads, said she wanted to highlight the violence of last year and demand more progress on secession.
"The Catalan government has not done much and we are determined to make the Catalan Republic a reality, even if it is by organizing another referendum, a legal referendum," she said. at The Associated Press.
The members of the Catalan regional government have returned to Sant Julia de Ramis, the northern city that has become a symbolic place for the separatists, because a year ago, the police broke into a local school to prevent people from voting .
Carles Puigdemont, then president of Catalonia, had to vote but had to find an alternative polling station when the riot police crossed the school gates to confiscate the ballot boxes and use batons to disperse and hurt the voters. refused to leave.
The incidents were broadcast live and put pressure on the central Spanish government, then in the hands of conservatives. The separatists claimed the victory of independence during the vote, despite its illegal nature, police violence and lack of surveillance.
In a brief speech Monday, the current president of Catalonia, Quim Torra, called the supporters gathered in front of the school of Sant Julia de Ramis to remember the lessons learned from the referendum and to continue their efforts to secede the Spain.
Torra was chosen by hand by the Belgian company Puigdemont, where the separatist leader fought successfully against extradition and pleaded for an independent Catalonia. On Monday, he posted on Twitter a video calling on the Catalans to remain united in their perseverance in order to break with Spain.
"Let's not shy away from the only possible way to live in a complete democracy: the (Catalan) Republic and its international recognition," Puigdemont said.
Torra has urged the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to allow a binding vote on secession and release the nine separatist leaders on remand for rebellion and other charges.
The dialogue between regional and national administrations has so far resulted in economic agreements to finance the region. But the talks are mired in separatist internal discord over the best strategy for moving forward and the weak parliamentary support for the minority government of Sanchez.
Government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said on Monday that last year's police violence was "a mistake" and damaged the country's reputation.
Polls and recent elections show that the 7.5 million people in the region are about equally divided by the issue of secession.
Video journalist Vicente Marquez and photographer Emilio Morenatti contributed to this report from Barcelona.
