57 minutes ago From the section Europe
More than half a million people have
rallied in Barcelona on a day of demonstrations by Catalan nationalists
wishing to break with Spain.
Police say 540,000 people turned out
in the capital of Catalonia, a region in north-east Spain, while four
other Catalan towns also held demonstrations. Regional president Carles Puigdemont had urged support for "converting Catalonia into an independent state".
Spain has consistently blocked attempts to hold a referendum on secession.
- Catalonia's push for independence from Spain
- A town split between Catalonia and Spain
- Catalonia profile
Divisions have also emerged between the separatist movement's main political grouping in the