Spaniards that do not want Catalonia to become independent of Spain, staged a rally in Barcelona on Sunday, less than 48 hours after the break-away region’s parliament voted to leave Spain.
The rally of around 300,000 people was about the same size as an earlier anti-independence rally staged by Catalan Civil Society which brought people onto the streets of central Barcelona to reject the separatist plans of the now sacked president, Carles Puigdemont.
Sunday’s pro-unity crowd passed the time by singing “Viva España” and shouting “Prison for Puigdemont” at the national and international media.
Today’s march was supported by Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy’s Popular Party, Spain’s main opposition socialists and Ciudadanos, the centrist anti-nationalist party whose stronghold is in Catalonia.
On Saturday, Puigdemont urged the Catalan people to defend their new republic.
Rajoy has used Article 155 of the Constitution to dissolve Catalonia’s parliament and has sacked key politicians and the regional police chief.
Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, the government’s chief spokesman and education minister, said on Saturday night that the Spanish government would “welcome” the participation of Sr Puigdemont in the Dec 21st ballot to select a new regional administration.
This may be tricky as charges are being worked on that could see Puigdemont arrested and taken to court, accused of rebellion.
In a move that will not endear the Belgian government to the Spanish administration, the Brussels administration has invited Puigdemont to apply for asylum in Belgium, opening the door to the deposed Catalan leader to escape criminal proceedings stemming from Catalonia’s illegal declaration of independence.
Theo Francken, Belgium’s secretary of state for asylum and migration, said: “Catalans who feel politically threatened can apply for asylum in Belgium. This includes the minister-president Puigdemont. It’s completely legal.”
While there has been no indication Mr Puigdemont is planning to go to Belgium, the country is one of few members of the European Union where EU citizens can ask for political asylum.
Mr Francken, a member of the New Flemish Alliance nationalist party, suggested that such a request from Mr Puigdemont was a possibility amid speculation in Spain that the former Catalan leader could be accused of rebellion, a crime which carries a maximum jail sentence of 30 years.
"They are already talking about a prison sentence," Mr Francken said, "The question is to what extent he would get a fair trial."
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, commented that Puigdemont's pro-independence party could "theoretically" put him up as a candidate in the December regional elections, "if he is not in jail at that time."
