European Parliament opens, short of three barred Catalans

A protester holds a portrait of Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont during a demonstration to ask for the Parliament inclusion of the 3 Catalan elected MEP's Puigdemont, Oriol Junqueras and Toni Comin, in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, July 2, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Parliament began its first session of the new term on Tuesday, short of three Catalan members who were barred from joining, as hundreds wearing the Catalan pro-independence flag protested against their exclusion outside the building.

Catalan leaders Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comin and Oriol Junqueras have not been able to take their seats in Strasbourg as the Spanish government has not recognised them as members of the parliament after elections in May.