The Catalan Way 2014 ( ca, Via Catalana 2014), or "V", was a large gathering in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
on 11 September 2014, the
National Day of Catalonia
)
, type = National day
, longtype = National day
, significance = Commemorates the fall of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.
, image = Rafael Casanova 11 Setembre.jpg
, caption = Floral of ...
, in support of the
Catalan self-determination referendum of 2014 and of
Catalan independence
The Catalan independence movement ( ca, independentisme català; Spanish: ''independentismo catalán'') is a social and political movement (with roots in Catalan nationalism) which seeks the independence of Catalonia from Spain.
The beginnings ...
from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. It was organized by "Now is the Time",
a unified campaign organised and funded by the
Assemblea Nacional Catalana
The Assemblea Nacional Catalana ("Catalan National Assembly"; ANC by its Catalan acronym) is an organization that seeks the political independence of Catalonia from Spain. It also promotes the independence of other Catalan-speaking regions, whic ...
(ANC) and the
Òmnium Cultural
Òmnium Cultural () is a Catalan association based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It was originally created in the 1960s to promote the Catalan language and spread Catalan culture.
Over the years it has increased its involvement in broader political is ...
. Two massive
senyeres (Catalan flags), created by demonstrators wearing red and yellow T-shirts forming a giant human mosaic, filled the
Diagonal
In geometry, a diagonal is a line segment joining two vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, when those vertices are not on the same edge. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word ''diagonal'' derives from the ancient Greek δ ...
and the
Gran Via, and came together at the vortex in
Plaça de les Glòries, forming a giant "V", symbolizing "victory", "vote" and "will" ( ca, victòria, votar, voluntat).
The "V" was 11 kilometers in length and about 200,000 square meters in area.
Estimates of the attendance varied: though the Spanish government's office in Catalonia put it at about 500,000,
Barcelona's Municipal Police put it at 1.8 million.
[ An independent statistical analysis by the ]Autonomous University of Barcelona
The Autonomous University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; , es, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona; UAB), is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
...
calculated that 900,000 people attended. The organisers, the grassroots Assemblea Nacional Catalana
The Assemblea Nacional Catalana ("Catalan National Assembly"; ANC by its Catalan acronym) is an organization that seeks the political independence of Catalonia from Spain. It also promotes the independence of other Catalan-speaking regions, whic ...
, said it was one of the biggest peaceful mobilizations in European history.
The demonstration followed similar protests in 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
and 2013 (the original Catalan Way). It was followed by the Free Way to the Catalan Republic (2015) and Go ahead, Catalan Republic (2016).
References
External links
Ara és l'hora (Now is the time)
official web site images
V, Catalan Way 2014
Video with the best images of the Catalan Way 2014
''Ortofoto''
Mosaic of air plane pictures of the Catalan Way 2014 covering the entire area
{{Catalan nationalism
2014 in Catalonia
2014 protests
Catalan independence movement
Politics of Catalonia
Protests in Catalonia