Thousands of people gathered outside Lledoners prison on Thursday evening to demand freedom for the nine Catalan political prisoners. Around 15,000 protesters, according to the organisers, came from across the country with private vehicles and also some 100 coaches.

On Friday two of them, Oriol Junqueras and Joaquim Forn, will have been one year behind bars, and the event intends to mark the anniversary. There will be another joint rally tomorrow organised by several pro-independence entities.

The seven male pro-independence jailed officials are in Lledoners prison, with the two female ones being in two prisons elsewhere in Catalonia.

Lluís Llach

Several party officials joined the event, as well as some iconic singers-songwriters, including anti-Francoism composer Lluís Llach.

The Catalan parliament president, Roger Torrent, and Catalonia’s vice president, Pere Aragonès, were some of the dignitaries talking to the crowd in an event organized by ERC party and Free Junqueras organisation.

Tomorrow the Spanish general prosecutor is expected to proposed the sentences for each of them ahead of the upcoming trial.