Hundreds of thousands ready for September 11 protest

In the past few years, the celebration of Catalonia's national day on September 11 has become a focus for mass demonstrations claiming the country's right to self-determination.

This year looks like the trend will continue, with more than 200,000 people already signed up to attend the event in Barcelona, organized by the grassroots association, the ANC.

This year's protest goes under the title ‘Fem la República Catalana’ (Let's Make the Catalan Republic) and the idea is for the attendees to create a giant wave in central Barcelona.

The ANC has said that there are some 800 coaches reserved to bring people to the Catalan capital, while 220,000 of the official protest t-shirts have already been bought.

Government tribute to jailed and exiled leaders

Also this week, the Catalan authorities revealed their plans for September 11, with events focusing on the political leaders behind last year's referendum who are in jail or exile.

The Catalan government and the parliament are planning a joint tribute to the prisoners and exiled in the form of a March for Freedom, which will begin at the parliament at 8.30pm.

The Catalan president and the parliament president will carry the traditional Canigó Flame, a fire symbolizing Catalan unity, to Sant Jaume square and on to the Born neighborhood.

The gesture is meant to symbolize the return of the "light" to Catalonia's institutions, after months of "darkness" when the country was under direct rule from Madrid.

The suspension of Catalonia's self-government also inspires this year's poster for the event, which has a design showing the red bars of the Catalan flag covered by masking tape.

Leftwing call to "face up to the antidemocratic state"

As the big day approaches, some political organizations have begun encouraging the public to come and attend the September 11 demonstrations.

Esquerra Independentista (EI), a coalition movement of left-wing pro-independence parties and groups, has called on the public to "face up to the anti-democratic Spanish state."

In a press conference this week, EI said they wanted September 11 to become "the beginning of a popular offensive to recover the rights that are being snatched away."

Ciutadans calls for Sánchez to intervene

Earlier in the week, some Spanish newspapers reported that the pro-independence Committees for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) are planning to "paralyze" Barcelona on September 11.

In response, Ciutadans (Cs), the largest unionist party in Catalonia called on Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, to intervene and prevent the CDR from organizing a protest, which they say is in collusion with the Catalan president, Quim Torra.

Spanish government delegate "doesn't know" if she will attend

The delegate for the Spanish government in Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera, won't attend the institutional acts on September 11 "if all Catalans are not included."

In an interview with Catalan broadcaster TV3, Cunillera explained that she has "always" gone to national day acts but "doesn't know" if she will this year until she is invited or has more details on what is organized. 

PSC, PP, and Cs won't participate

Cs, as well as also unionist Socialists (PSC) and the People's Party (PP) have announced that they will not participate in the institutional act of the September 11 celebration, as they consider it to be "exclusionary," "sectarian," and "partisan." 

In a press conference, the formation stated that the parliament did not have the "courtesy" of informing the opposition of the content of the event and discussing it with them. 

Cs stated that they will not attend because pro-independence forces "appropriated" the day "shamelessly;" PSC regretted that the parliament act "senselessly" and "exclude more than half of the population." Meanwhile, PP qualified the poster of the act as "grotesque" and "ridiculous.