Thousands climb mounts in Catalonia to demand 'freedom' for prisoners and exiles

President Quim Torra or speaker Roger Torrent ascend mountains with citizens

People start the ascend of a mountain in the Lleida region (by Oriol Bosch, ACN)
People start the ascend of a mountain in the Lleida region (by Oriol Bosch, ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

October 13, 2018 03:02 PM

More than 11,000 people in Catalonia climbed mounts from all around the country to demand freedom for "political prisoners and exiles." 

In an unprecedented exercise of coordinated climb mounting, people ascended mounts such as Puigsacalm, Matagalls, Canigó or Pica d'Estats. Each mount was to remember one prisoner or exiled. 

Catalan president Quim Torra, for instance, made the ascent to Puigsacalm, the mountain chosen by former leader Carles Puigdemont.

Speaker Roger Torrent climbed the Matagalls, chosen by his party secretary general, Marta Rovira, currently living on exile in Switzerland. Other members of the government or social leaders ascended other mounts, in some cases despite the rain or the fog. 

"We won't give up until there are freedom, and our people are free as well," said President Torra from the top of Puigsacalm. "We can reach the objectives that we want, including that of a Catalan Republic," he added.

Emergency services deployed a special plan to react to any problems or accidents during the ascents, but nothing worrying happened.