© Albert Gea / ReutersPeople hold Catalan separatist flags known as "Esteladas", during a gathering to mark the Catalonia day "Diada" in central Barcelona, Spain, September 11, 2016.
Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets of five Catalan cities for rallies aimed at speeding up the process breakaway from Spain, local media reported.
Demonstrators carried national flags with some of them wearing traditional Catalan clothes or T-shirts bearing pro-independence slogans. Rallies spanned Barcelona, Salt, Berga, Lleida and Tarragona, Catalan News Agency reported on Sunday.
A mass rally for Catalonia's national day, "Diada," expected over 340,000 people , according to AFP.
This year's event differs from the previous ones by its "decentralized" character which means the demonstrations which were previously held only in Barcelona have now reached other cities as well.
"Each year we try to come up with something new... this year we wanted to show that Catalonia is a diverse country and we walked away from being focused on Barcelona. We want to show the world that we are diverse, but united. We are a lively country, on the move, and we are standing on the threshold of turning into a new state," Natalia Estevez, vice-president of Catalan National Assembly, told RIA Novosti.
Comment: Good old-fashioned 'American values' include racism, genocide, and calling for the murder of those trying to exercise the slightest amount of their 'freedoms'.
Also see: