Catalan separatists will count their strength on Wednesday, September 11, during a symbolic demonstration in Barcelona, ​​two years after the attempted secession of 2017.

Since 2012, the separatists have been organizing huge demonstrations on September 11th, the day of the "Diada", a festival of Catalonia commemorating the fall of Barcelona in 1714 against the troops of Philip V during the War of Spanish Succession.

With the slogan "Independence objective", this event has gathered more than a million people in recent years. It will start at 17:14, this year with reference to the year 1714, and will start from the Spanish Steps in Barcelona.

Twelve independentist leaders tried by the Spanish Supreme Court

The protest comes just weeks before the announcement, expected in October, of the sentence against the twelve independenceist leaders tried by the Spanish Supreme Court from February to June.

Behind the bars for some for nearly two years, they risk long prison terms, up to 25 years in the case of former Regional Vice President Oriol Junqueras.

"As the sentence [of the Supreme Court] approaches, it is important that we see that we mobilize massively," said Elisenda Paluzie, president of the powerful independentist ANC organization that organizes the event.

Separated separatist parties

But two years after the banned referendum of October 1, 2017, marked by police violence, and the futile declaration of independence of October 27, worst political crisis that has known Spain for 40 years, the unit is no longer within the separatist camp.

In 2017, all the separatist parties had joined forces. Today, the two main separatist formations, still allies at the head of the rich region of northeastern Spain, are deeply divided.

Together for Catalonia (JxC) former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in 2017, advocates the "confrontation" with Madrid, while the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) Oriol Junqueras has a more moderate and favorable to the dialogue with the central power.

In this context of divisions, the ANC thought the September 11th event was an opportunity to "weave a strategic unity that allows for independence", the first step being to fill the streets. The independence leaders, they fear a decline in the mobilization of disoriented activists.

With AFP