Over a million protest against 'declaration of independence'

This is the second demonstration in a matter of weeks organised by the Catalunya Civil Society (Societat Civil Catalana, or SCC) calling for Spain's unity to be protected – the previous protest took place in Barcelona on October 8, a week after the disputed independence referendum.

In practice, the declaration, or UDI, means nothing, since not one country or international organisation has as yet stated it would recognise Catalunya as a separate country, and within 30 minutes of the secession announcement, Spain's national government triggered Article 155 of the Constitution, placing the region under State rule.

Regional president Carles Puigdemont and all his ministers have been sacked, as has the chief of Catalunya's military police, the Mossos d'Esquadra – Josep Lluís Trapero, who was recently arrested and then released with charges of sedition – whilst National Police second in command Ferrán López has taken Trapero's job and deputy national president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría is now acting president of Catalunya.

The demonstration kicked off at noon from the Plaça de Catalunya and has so far marched along the Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona's famous designer shopping boulevard, and the bustling Gran Vía.

Spanish, catalán and EU flags are being brandished, and chants heard in Spanish and in catalán.

“Tots som Catalunya. Per la convivència, seny!” appears on banners – rougly translated from the catalán as 'We are all Catalunya. For peace and harmony, let's be sensible', and participants can be heard chanting, “Viva Catalunya,” “Viva España,” “No amnesty, no reprieve,” “TV3, manipulators,” referring to the regional television station, which has so far escaped State rule, “We are all Catalunya,” and “Coup perpetrators in prison.”

Leaders of the regional branches of the right-wing PP, left-wing socialists, and centre-right Ciudadanos head up the march, including PP secretary-general for Catalunya Xavier García Albiol, Catalunya socialists' leader Miquel Iceta, national government health minister Dolors Montserrat – the only Catalunya-born member of the presidential cabinet – national leader of Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, who is also catalán, as well as high-ranking non-political figureheads including leader of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and chief executive of cava giant Freixenet Josep Lluís Bonet, and former deputy chairman of the Constitutional Court, Eugeni Gay.

Iceta says it is 'time to accept reality' and for Puigdemont to realise Catalunya's independence is not going to happen.

The State has called a regional election in Catalunya, and has not barred Puigdemont from standing.

Spain's reigning PP government has agreed to opposition proposals to lift the terms of Article 155 once the elections have taken place if a new non-independence party is voted in.

Albiol is confident that 'if everyone turns out to vote' on December 21, when the elections are held 'the pro-independence brigade will not govern again in Catalunya'.