Divided over talks with Spain, Catalonia's separatists rally

Tens of thousands of Catalans have rallied for independence from the rest of Spain in their first major mass gathering since the start of the pandemic

BARCELONA, Spain -- Catalan separatists held their first major mass gathering since the start of the pandemic on Saturday, trying to offer a display of unity despite the divisions in their ranks over upcoming talks with the Spanish government. Tens of thousands waved pro-independence flags and wore T-shirts with messages for their cause in downtown Barcelona. People used face masks for the event, which went ahead after regional authorities dropped restrictions on the number of people who could gather with COVID-19 cases dropping. There was a moment of tension when a large crowd pelted a police station with toilet paper, trash and other objects, prompting police in riot vans to roll in and clear them out. The meeting between representatives of the Catalan and central governments doesn't have a date yet, but it is supposed to be soon. This second meeting between the two sides is supposed to advance negotiations toward the eventual finding a solution to the political crisis that has festered since the failed 2017 bid by Catalan's secessionists to force a breakaway.