15,000 at rally, organisers say
Miles of people gathered in Girona on 11 September 2026 for the annual Diada demonstration, with organisers estimating 15,000 attendees and municipal police recording 11,000. The protest began at 5.14pm in Plaça Catalunya, where the Castellers group Marrecs de Salt raised two human towers before the march began. The demonstration, organised by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), Òmnium Cultural, the Consell de la República, the Associació de Municipis per la Independència, Intersindical, and CIEMEN, followed the route to the Copa esplanade, where speeches and musical performances concluded the event. Participants carried estelades, waved banners, and chanted slogans including “in-inde-independence”, “the streets will always be ours” and “fuck Spain, fuck the national team”.
Call for unity and resilience
The march’s official slogan, 'Hi soc. Hi som. Independència' (I am here. We are here. Independence), underscored both individual commitment and collective resolve. The closing manifesto, read at the Copa, declared 'O independència o decadència' (Either independence or decline), citing deteriorating public services, healthcare waiting lists, educational underfunding, railway problems, housing costs, and linguistic erosion as evidence of systemic failure under the current autonomous framework. The manifesto linked these challenges to Catalonia’s lack of full sovereignty and accused the Spanish government of failing to address the country’s core problems. It described the current autonomy model as a 'political and economic ceiling' and argued that independence is not only a national goal but a necessary tool to build a fairer society.
Signs of revival amid fatigue
Participants from across the comarques and beyond expressed mixed feelings of exhaustion and renewed hope. Carmen Gispert and David Martín, attending from Palafrugell for the first time in several years, said they were encouraged by signs of revival. "The flame has stayed lit," said Martín, while Gispert acknowledged post-2017 disillusionment but affirmed her ongoing commitment. Joan Costa, also from Palafrugell, described participation as essential: "We want independence for our country." Otger and Vinyet Buldó, from Cardedeu, chose Girona over Barcelona for its calmer atmosphere, stating their aim was to "keep supporting and fighting". A group of friends from Cornellà del Terri said it was their first time attending, driven by pride in their homeland. "We’ll come again," they said, encouraged by the event’s energy.
"Voldríem acabar aquest tema i ser lliures d’una punyetera vegada." , Joan Costa, activist from Palafrugell
Despite fatigue, the mood was largely festive, with families, young people, and elderly attendees joining castellers, xarangas, and music from artists like Lluís Llach and Txarango. The event featured no overt partisan symbols, focusing instead on civic mobilisation. Tensions briefly flared when a small group of youths chanted "Sílvia Orriols is the solution", prompting a brief confrontation with a passer-by. The situation was quickly defused by other demonstrators, who responded with anti-fascist chants. The gathering concluded with the singing of 'Els Segadors', Catalonia’s national anthem, and live music. The ANC president’s announcement, broadcast via a large screen from Barcelona, of plans to hold a major independence summit in autumn 2027, marking the 10th anniversary of the 2017 referendum, was met with loud approval.
Reported by gerio.cat, Aniol Costa-Pau, elpuntavui.cat, Llibertat.cat, RTVE Catalunya, rtve.es, G.B, Gerió Digital.
