Thousands demand release of Catalonia separatist leaders

Thousands of demonstrators took the streets of Barcelona yesterday, demanding the release of separatist leaders held in prison over their participation in a banned independence referendum which has since thrown the region into political chaos.

The march was organised under the slogan “Freedom for the political prisoners”, and was addressed by the jailed leaders’ families.

On 27 October, after declaring independence, the Catalan government was fired, with new elections scheduled for December.  

Yesterday’s protest was in fact viewed by many as a test of the independence movement’s resolve and a gauge of the level of support it still enjoys.

The Spanish high court has jailed eight former Catalan government members, along with the leaders of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural, while investigations continue.

Moreover, arrest warrants on charges of rebellion and sedition were also issued for former Catalan leader Carles Puigdmeont, who flew to Brussels after being diposed.

“Your light reaches us in Brussels and illuminates the path we must keep following,” he tweeted during the protest.

On Thursday, the supreme court released the Catalan parliament’s speaker, Carme Forcadell and four other lawmakers on bail, on the condition that they agreed to renounce any political activity that went against the Spanish constitution, effectively stopping them from campaigning in next December’s elections.