MADRID: 鈥淧rison for Puigdemont,鈥� shouted thousands of people in central Madrid, gathered under a giant Spanish flag Saturday in anger at Catalonia鈥檚 unilateral declaration of independence under secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont.
As music blared from giant speakers 鈥� from British band Coldplay to Spanish singer Manolo Escobar鈥檚 鈥淵 viva Espana鈥� (鈥淎nd long live Spain鈥� in Spanish) 鈥� pro-unity protesters banded together on the square.
Unhappy with Catalonia鈥檚 secession bid, many also directed anger at Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whom they accuse of having been too soft on the region鈥檚 separatist leaders.
鈥淚t is a disgrace what happened in Catalonia, and it鈥檚 a disgrace what happened after,鈥� said Carlos Fernandez, a 41-year-old mining engineer.
On Friday, the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence.
Rajoy replied by axing Puigdemont and his executive, dissolving parliament, and calling snap December 21 regional elections to quash what he termed an 鈥渆scalation of disobedience.鈥�
鈥淣othing is going to change in two months,鈥� said Fernandez of Rajoy鈥檚 intervention, 鈥渋t鈥檚 just prolonging the problem.鈥�
Sitting on a concrete ledge clutching a large red and yellow national flag, he said he was disappointed at the low pro-unity turnout.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because of what the government said yesterday, many people think that it鈥檚 all solved,鈥� he said.
Speeches began at midday.
鈥淭oday, we have all come to demonstrate our unity, to proclaim that we will get Catalonia back,鈥� one presenter told the crowd.
To cheers and shouts of 鈥減rison for Puigdemont,鈥� she added: 鈥淲e won鈥檛 stop until we see them in jail.鈥�
Spanish prosecutors have announced they will next week file charges of 鈥渞ebellion鈥� against Puigdemont 鈥� a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Near the square, a large banner proclaiming: 鈥淪pain doesn鈥檛 surrender鈥� hung from a building occupied by the far-right, xenophobic group Hogar Social.
People leant out of windows and cheered as dozens of protesters holding flags of the Spanish Legion, an army unit, and the small, far-right party National Democracy marched up, flanked by police.
Back on the square, Jorge Marin, a 38-year-old engineer, said: 鈥淚n the end, this is going to come to nothing.鈥�
鈥淭he Catalans aren鈥檛 serious, and we鈥檙e not serious, because they鈥檙e not really getting independence, and we鈥檙e not going to put them in prison for what they鈥檙e doing.鈥�