Catalonia crisis rages on as thousands protest against independence

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Thousands of demonstrators gather during a Pro-Unity march in response to last Sundays disputed referendum on Catalan independence and to support the unity of Spain on October 8, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain.

The potential constitutional crisis facing Madrid has not gone away and could reach a decisive point this week, despite a mass protest in favor of a united Spain on Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Catalonia Sunday to call for unity, voicing their opposition to last week’s non-binding and referendum on independence on October 1 that was declared illegal by the Spanish government and constitutional court.

Police in Barcelona estimated that 350,000 people had attended the march while Societat Civil Catalana, an anti-independence group that organized the protest, put the number of demonstrators at 930,000.

Waving both Spanish and Catalan flags, demonstrators on Sunday praised the actions taken by the Spanish government to prevent the symbolic referendum vote, and criticized local politicians who have encouraged secession from Spain.