Crisis In Catalonia: Huge Pro-Spanish Rally In Barcelona

Reuters: Hundreds of thousands march for unified Spain, poll shows depths of division

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of supporters of a unified Spain filled Barcelona’s streets on Sunday in one of the biggest shows of force yet by the so-called silent majority that has watched as regional political leaders push for Catalan independence.

Political parties opposing a split by Catalonia from Spain had a small lead in an opinion poll published on Sunday, the first since Madrid called a regional election to try to resolve the country’s worst political crisis in four decades.

Polls and recent elections have shown that about half the electorate in the wealthy northeastern region, which is already autonomous, oppose secession from Spain, but a vocal independence movement has brought the current crisis to a head.

Spain’s central government called an election for Dec. 21 on Friday after sacking Catalonia’s president Carles Puigdemont, dissolving its parliament and dismissing its government. That followed the assembly’s unilateral declaration of independence in a vote boycotted by three national parties.

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WNU Editor: For the next two months the entire focus in Spain will be on the election campaign in Catalonia. If the separatists win a majority (again) .... the pressure on Madrid to keep the country unified in the face of such a loss will be enormous. If the separatists lose .... this issue dies. So my prediction is that for the next two months the voters in Catalonia are going to be receiving a steady diet of doom and gloom stories if Catalonia decides to vote for separatist parties. Bottom line .... this is going to get ugly.

More News On The Crisis In Catalonia

Huge rally in Barcelona rejects Catalan secession bid -- AP
'I Don't Want an Independent Catalonia': Rally Backs Unified Spain -- New York Times
Catalonia: Madrid warns of Puigdemont jailing as thousands rally for unity -- The Guardian
Protesters stage big anti-independence rally in Catalonia -- POLITICO.eu
Hundreds of thousands march for Spanish unity after Catalonia independence vote -- Independent.ie
Catalan government insists Monday is 'normal working day' despite being ousted by Madrid -- The Telegraph
Resist or Obey Madrid's Rule? Catalonia Civil Servants Must Decide -- New York Times