The Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), a pro-independence civic organisation, organised Diada demonstrations in Barcelona, Girona and Amposta on Friday, with Barcelona's Guàrdia Urbana municipal police putting attendance in the city at about 45,000.

Video: @assemblea / X

For Catalonia's political landscape, the turnout gives the independence movement a larger street presence than last year while its established parties face electoral pressure from Aliança Catalana. Catalanist parties from the PSC to the CUP used the national day to call for rejection of far-right rhetoric, according to Diari ARA.

Two routes met at Plaça Catalunya

The Barcelona march began at 17:14 with two columns, one leaving from Gran Via and the other from Plaça de la Catedral. They converged at Plaça Catalunya, according to EFE, which cited Guàrdia Urbana sources.

  • About 45,000 people took part in Barcelona, according to Guàrdia Urbana.
  • The ANC's slogan was: “I am there. We are there. Independence.”
  • ANC-organised demonstrations also took place in Girona and Amposta, in Tarragona province.

EFE reported that the Barcelona figure was 17,000 higher than the previous year. Diari ARA reported a combined total of 58,000 participants across Barcelona, Girona and Amposta, citing local police, while the ANC estimated 128,000 people across Catalonia.

Parties focus on Aliança Catalana's rise

The ANC's president, Josep Vila, used the mobilisation to argue that the independence movement should resume campaigning for secession.

“We consider the mourning period over,” Josep Vila said.

Diari ARA said the ANC and Òmnium Cultural, another Catalan civic organisation, intend to call a large mobilisation in autumn 2027, ten years after the 1 October 2017 independence referendum.

Junts, ERC and the CUP were represented at the march, EFE reported. Aliança Catalana also sent a delegation. The party is led by Sílvia Orriols, the mayor of Ripoll.

A Sigma Dos poll published by El Mundo projected that Aliança Catalana could win 25 to 28 seats in the 135-member Parliament of Catalonia, up from its current two, with 16.7% of the vote. Polling is not an election result, but the projection has sharpened disagreements among pro-independence parties over how to respond to the party's growth.

Residents and visitors travelling through central Barcelona after the march should check current local transport and street-access information, as the demonstration's final gathering was held at Plaça Catalunya.

Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by en.ara.cat, efe.com, elnacional.cat, elmundo.es, democrata.es, RTVE Catalunya, beteve.cat, Diari ARA.