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BARCELONA. — Defenders of Spanish unity massed in the streets of Catalonia’s capital Barcelona yesterday, waving national and European flags and chanting “Viva Espana” two days after regional lawmakers voted to sever the region from Spain. Protesters flocked in their tens of thousands through Barcelona’s streets, in a sea of red-and-yellow Spanish flags, brandishing placards reading “De Todos” (It belongs to all of us). The stand-off has plunged Spain into its worst political crisis in decades, and raised alarm in Europe.

“We are all Catalonia,” proclaimed a massive banner as the crowd chanted “Prison for Puigdemont”, and “Long live Spain”. Secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont and his regional executive was axed by the central government on Saturday, a day after Catalan lawmakers voted to declare the region of 7.5 million people a republic. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also dissolved the regional parliament, and called December 21 elections for a new one.

“I am enraged about what they are doing to the country that my grandparents built,” said protester Marina Fernandez, a 19-year-old student from Girona, a separatist stronghold. In her hometown, she cannot speak out for Spanish unity or “leave my house with the Spanish flag,” she told AFP. As the march got under way, the deputy president of the deposed Catalan government lashed out at Madrid over what he called a “coup d’etat”.

“The president of the country is and will remain Carles Puigdemont,” the axed leader’s deputy Oriol Junqueras wrote in Catalan newspaper El Punt Avui. Junqueras used the word “country” to refer to Catalonia, and signed off as the region’s “vice president”.

“We cannot recognise the coup d’etat against Catalonia, nor any of the anti-democratic decisions that the PP (Rajoy’s ruling Popular Party) is adopting by remote control from Madrid,” he wrote. — AFP.