Thousands of people rallied last Saturday in front of the Catalan Parliament in Barcelona to ask Catalan deputies to take up a strategy towards Catalan independence. The demonstration, organized by the group Acte de Sobirania (Act of Sovereignty), had the support of the main pro-independence Catalan organizations, such as Deumil.cat (Tenthousand.cat), Sobirania i Justícia (Sovereignty and Justice), Sobirania i Progrés (Sovereignty and Progress) and Plataforma pel Dret de Decidir (Platform for the Right to Decide).

After the reading of the manifesto, the march headed towards the Ciutadella Park where the Parliament building is located. There, the 135 Catalan deputies where summoned to receive the demonstrators and explain "whether they intend to proclaim in the Parliament the need and the will to reach independence for Catalonia". Only 10 members of parliament attended the call -8 members of ERC (Catalan Republican Left), who signed the letter of commitment, and 2 belonging to CiU (conservative Catalan nationalists), who refused to do so.

The group Act of Sovereignty expressed satisfaction for the success, and regarded it as "a first step in Parliament towards independence". As regards participation, the organizers said the march was attended by around 5,000 people, while the local police reported there were no more than 1,400.

Further information:

• Call for the demonstration
• Press clipping at the web of Acte de Sobirania