A massive crowd took today to the streets for the fourth year in a row in Catalonia to demand independence from Spain, ahead of a Catalan Parliament election that secessionist parties want to turn into a de facto referendum. Demonstrators overcrowded a 5.3-long avenue in Catalan capital city Barcelona, drawing a colourful mosaic and chanting slogans in favour of the establishment of a new Catalan state.

All major media outlets agreed that at least hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, with organizer Catalan National Assembly (ANC) hinting that the overall figure could be as high as 2 million. Barcelona's local police estimated the attendance to be 1.4 million. Catalonia's total population is 7.5 million.

ANC president Jordi Sànchez said it was now clear that Catalonia "had already decided to leave Spain" since the Spanish state "no longer represents" Catalans. Sànchez argued an independent Catalonia, with a state "loyal to its citizens," would be "a fairer, better country" which would be "open to the world".

Independence in 18 months' time

Citizens are called to elect the Catalan Parliament in a snap election on September 27th. Big-tent alliance Together for Yes (JxSí) and democratic socialist CUP both say they will launch a transition period towards full independence if they capture an absolute majority.

Two main parties within JxSí (liberal CDC and social democrat ERC) and pro-independence civil society groups supporting that alliance agreed in March 2015 on an 18-month roadmap towards the establishment of a Catalan independent state. CUP leaders argue the transition period should even be shorter than that.

Recent opinion polls say JxSí and CUP could obtain a combined 67 to 80 seats in Catalonia's 135-strong Parliament. That means the pro-independence parties would reach their goal to get an absolute majority.

The Spanish government says it will never recognise the vote as a de facto referendum, nor will it bow to independence demands from Catalonia.