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Catalans Demonstrate for Independence on National Holiday

The day has become an occasion for mass demonstrations for Catalan self-determination.

Barcelona Spain demonstration
Catalans demonstrate for independence from Spain in Barcelona, July 10, 2010 (Wikimedia Commons/Josep Renalias)
  • Catalonia celebrates its national holiday on Tuesday.
  • The date, September 11, commemorates the fall of Barcelona in 1714. Catalonia had backed the losing side in the War of the Spanish Succession.
  • Celebrations were banned under Francisco Franco and officially restored in 1980.
  • In recent years, the Diada has become an occasion for mass demonstrations for Catalan self-determination and independence.