Citizens have said "enough" once again and have gone back to the streets to demand "dignity" and "respect". This is the general feeling of the thousands of people who have filled the streets of the city of Barcelona this Saturday.

750,000 people, according to Local Police, have filled the street Marina in Barcelona on Saturday in a demonstration called by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural to ask for the release of the counselors and the imprisoned leaders of both associations.

Large protest

"Freedom for political prisoners" was one of the most chanted songs during the afternoon, although they also sounded strongly "we are a republic" and "outside the occupation forces", in reference to the 12,000 police and civil guards displaced in Catalonia.

The demonstrators carried banners, independence flags and messages against the application of article 155, which means nothing more and nothing less than the suspension of the Catalan government. This measure had never been applied before.

Some of them included photographs of the dismissed counselors or the two imprisoned leaders Jordi Sànchez (ANC) and Jordi Cuixart (Òmnium).

At the march, there were two heads: one calling for the release of political prisoners with relatives of the councilors and the presidents of the ANC and Òmnium; and the other in favour of the republic, with political representatives.

The families of the prisoners appeared on stage and read letters that the prisoners themselves have written from prison.

Joaquim Forn, Meritxell Borrás, Carles Mundó, Josep Rull, Dolors Bassa, Raül Romeva, Jordi Turull, Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez. A video in support of the President Carles Puigdemont and the other members of the Catalan government in Brussel·las has also been screened.

Among the politicians present at the event were the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, Josep Lluís Cleries (PdeCAT), Roger Torrent (ERC), Joan Josep Nuet, the ex-secretary of Podem Catalunya Albano Dante Fachin and the ex-deputy of CUP Mireia Boya.

Trip to Brussels

The leaders of ANC and Òmnium Cultural have called to fill the streets of Brussels on December 7 to "express from the European capital in front of the EU and the world, and in front of the president of the Catalan government, the determination to continue the fight for democracy". This was expressed in the parliaments and the demonstration this Saturday by the vice presidents of the two organisations Agustí Alcoberro (ANC) and Marcel Mauri (Òmnium).
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