Thousands marched in Barcelona for Catalan independence as party leaders faced public indifference and open criticism. The event highlighted growing fractures within the movement and rising pressure from the far right.
This year’s Diada rally in Barcelona was meant to show strength for Catalonia’s independence movement, but the divisions among leaders and supporters were hard to miss. Thousands gathered in the city center, yet the presence of all major pro-independence parties only highlighted how fractured the cause has become.
The demonstration, organized by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC), used the slogan "Hi soc, hi som, pel present i pel futur, independència." The march started at 17:14, a reference to the fall of Barcelona in 1714, with tractors leading the way from the cathedral square to Plaça de Catalunya. This year, the ANC and Òmnium tried a decentralized approach, holding rallies in Girona and Amposta as well as Barcelona, hoping to inject new energy into the movement. Still, the effort couldn’t hide the underlying tension.
On the eve of Diada, police separated around 500 Aliança Catalana supporters from 1,500–2,500 antifascist counter-protesters at Fossar de les Moreres, resulting in forceful interventions and several arrests.
Leaders from Junts and ERC joined the march, but unity was in short supply. Oriol Junqueras, back after years away, was met with indifference and even accusations of betrayal from some in the crowd. The ERC delegation’s banner read "Per la independència. Sempre hi som," but the mood was subdued. Jordi Turull of Junts blamed President Salvador Illa for fueling polarization, while Illa called for Catalan unity against the far right, according to several news briefings.
The far-right Aliança Catalana party cast a long shadow over the event. The previous day’s confrontation at Fossar de les Moreres between Aliança supporters and antifascist activists had already set a tense tone. Police intervened with force, a sign of how volatile Catalan politics has become. ANC president Josep Vila said the focus should stay on independence, not on clashes with extremists, but the reality on the ground was different. Vila, quoted by Spanish media, described Diada as a "recharge of energy" for the movement and said this was "not a moment for parties."
Attendance numbers became a source of both hope and anxiety. Organizers wanted to beat last year’s turnout, which the Guardia Urbana put at 28,000—the lowest since the start of the procés—while some independent reviews estimated closer to 41,000. Rallies also took place in Girona and Amposta, but Barcelona remained the main stage. Vila, who recently took over from Lluís Llach at the ANC, argued that Catalonia’s public services are collapsing because of what he called fiscal plundering by Madrid, and insisted the independence movement must keep going despite all the pressure.
Aliança Catalana and its leader Sílvia Orriols have become a significant source of internal division within the independence movement, with their assertive presence at symbolic sites like Fossar de les Moreres prompting increased police deployment and counter-mobilization by antifascist groups. Orriols publicly warned that her supporters would defend their events until police arrived, highlighting the heightened polarization around Diada.
Òmnium Cultural’s Xavier Antic, speaking at the Arc del Triomf, called for a broad democratic front to counter the far right. The message was clear: the independence movement now faces two challenges—keeping momentum and pushing back against radical forces that are changing Catalonia’s political scene.
Recent coverage, such as the Sant Boi anniversary, has already shown how the far right’s rise is reshaping Diada and the region’s political balance. This year’s rally only made it clearer that Catalonia’s independence project is at a crossroads, with unity slipping and the future uncertain.
What stands out from this Diada is not a show of unstoppable force, but a movement struggling with its own divisions and the growing influence of hardline groups. The independence cause, once defined by mass mobilization and a sense of shared purpose, now faces fraying alliances and new threats. Leadership calls for unity, but the crowd’s response is muted and the far right’s presence is growing. For Catalonia, the path to independence is more contested—and more complicated—than before.
