MORE THAN a hundred people gathered in George Square in support of Catalan's political prisoners this afternoon.

The protest was organised by the Catalan Defence Committee Scotland to demand the release of all political prisoners and to defend democratic rights.

On October 14 nine prominent Catalan political figures were sentenced to a collective 100 years in prison.

SNP MP for Inverclyde Ronnie Cowan spoke at the event about the importance of standing "on the right side of history".

He said: "Whether or not you believe the people of Catalonia should be an independent nation, it should be entirely up to them.

"You must agree that they have the right to make that choice.

"Today we stand in solidarity with the Catalan movement for independence because they want the right to choose and also importantly to show the prisoners and their families solidarity."

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Disagreeing with the way police have reacted to the demonstrations in Catalonia, he added: "To see that happen in the 21st century in what is supposed to be a modern democracy is unacceptable.

"The Spanish government can issue amnesties, they have done it in the past they can do it again."

Labour MP Paul Sweeney, who also spoke at the protest, said: "It might have been lawful, but it can be best described as a massively counterproductive act of repression.”

"I call on PSOE and Prime Minister Sanchez to urgently seek means of reconciliation through dialogue and democratic measures in order for the Catalan people to express themselves.”

The demonstration started with a minute silence for the 39 Chinese immigrants that were found dead in a lorry earlier this week.

One of the organisers said: "They didn't commit any crimes but they fell in between the brutal repression that exists everywhere."

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Supporters of the protest included Unison Scotland, Catalan National Assembly Scotland, All Under One Banner and Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC).

STUC deputy general secretary Dave Moxham said: "We have listened to the view of the Catalan trade unions and while people have different views of the constitutional future of Catalonia, what is absolutely clear is across the board condemnation of the pre-trial imprisonment of the political prisoners.

"The principle of self-determination should be universal and in Scotland, we have the claim of right which the STUC was one of the architects of in 1990.

"It states that irrespective of one's views about one's constitutional future it is the inalienable right to decide its own future and that's something everyone should respect around the world."