Campaigners will travel from villages across Catalonia to march on Monday, September 11, also known as ‘Diada' day to mark the historic 1714 fall of Barcelona to Spain, Reuters reported.
Regional leaders have promised to hold the referendum vote in spite of a ruling last Thursday by Spain's Constitutional Court that any vote would be illegal. Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has consistently expressed his disapproval of any independence vote, asserting that the country is constitutionally indivisible.
Recent polls by Catalonia's regional government show that a majority of Catalans support a referendum vote and independence from Spain. If Catalans vote "yes" to independence, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont could announce independence from Spain in as little as 48 hours.
"It's vital that we come out in force for this Diada for the October 1 referendum to be successful…I'll be there," Puigdemont said, encouraging all "independentistas" to show up for the Monday march.
Seeking to throw any wrench into the process of Catalan independence that they can get their hands on, Spain's state prosecutor charged Puigdemont and 13 cabinet members on Thursday with misuse of public funds, abuse of office, and civil disobedience.
Puigdemont has assured Catalans, however, that everything necessary for the referendum is in place, including the existence of ballot boxes hidden in various locations throughout the region.
In addition, many mayors in Catalonian towns are encouraging the vote by allowing the use of local municipal facilities as voting areas.
