Push for Catalan independence gains momentum with date for referendum
Barcelona — Tens of thousands of demonstrators including Pep Guardiola, the revered former manager of Barcelona’s football club, rallied in the city on Sunday to support the Catalonia independence referendum called for October 1. Carles Puigdemont, leader of Catalonia’s regional government, defied Madrid on Friday by setting a date for a binding vote even though the referendum has been ruled illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court. "We will vote, even if the Spanish state doesn’t want it," Guardiola told the crowd speaking in Catalan, Spanish and English. "There is no other way; the only possible response is to vote," he added. As Puigdemont looked on, Guardiola also spoke calling for the international community’s support against "the abuses of an authoritarian state". While Barcelona authorities estimated the turnout at about 30,000 people, a separatist source put the figure at 47,000. "I think independence is the only solution," said Ramon Fon, a retired man at the rally. "I want ...
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