Story highlights Catalan leaders have said they will declare independence within days

Mass protests for and against independence have taken place in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) Large crowds protested in Barcelona on Sunday to demand that their regional Catalan leaders hold fire on declaring independence from Spain, as they have threatened to do in a matter of days.

Catalan leaders held an independence referendum one week ago in a divisive and controversial poll that Madrid slammed as illegal.

Protesters hold a banner that reads "Catalonia is Spain" at the pro-unity rally in Barcelona on Sunday.

The Catalan leaders claimed that 90% of voters were in favor of seceding from Spain. Those numbers are unlikely to be representative of true public opinion, as supporters of remaining in Spain may have considered voting illegal and abstained.

A week of protests have nonetheless shown a bitter division.

Massive crowds have taken to the streets to rally for independence since the vote a week ago. But there have also been large crowds against separation, including in Madrid, as well as protests calling for dialogue.

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