Catalan independence day Diada to bring pro-seperatist protests

Today, the Spanish region of Catalonia will celebrate Diada, a day of remembrance for Catalan lives lost in a 1714 battle against the Spanish and a catalyst for pro-independence movements.

This year’s celebrations will be marked by heightened civil unrest over Catalan secession. It is the first Diada under the recently elected government of separatist Quim Torra, who on Sunday called on Madrid to accept last year’s referendum result that saw 92% of voters approve of independence (although only 43% of those eligible cast a ballot). Thousands of unionists have taken to the streets over the past two days to push back against today’s massive surge in separatist protests.

Mr Torro is likely to push for a trial on behalf of nine separatist leaders currently imprisoned. These demands will decrease the already-low probability of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s willingness to accept another Catalan call for independence. However, Mr Sanchez is under pressure to deliver on his proposal to grant Catalonia more autonomy from Spanish rule, as Catalan separatists are key supporters of his minority government.

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