MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The protesters carried placards reading "Long live Spain, long live Catalonia," "No to independence", "United Europe will never be defeated" or "We have voted, we failed," according to the ABC Barcelona broadcaster.
The protest was organized by the the Catalan Civil Society (CCS), a Catalan political association opposing to the regions's independence from Spain, and is striving to improve political relations with the rest of Spain and the European Union.
Catalonia has long sought independence from Spain, but the Spanish government has repeatedly declined the region’s quest for independence, saying it would violate the country’s constitution.
On November 9, the Parliament of Catalonia passed a resolution to begin the process of seceding from Spain. The initiative was backed by 72 votes in the 135-seat parliament.
