Thousands of Catalans rally for independence in Barcelona

People hold up Esteladas (Catalan separatist flag) during the National Day Catalonia, called 'La Diada', in Barcelona, Spain, September 11, 2021. REUTERS/Albert Gea

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Thousands of Catalans chanted, sang and waved flags as they marched through Barcelona on Saturday, calling for the region's independence from Spain.

The march, organised by the grassroots Assemblea Nacional Catalana [ANC], was the first since Spain's government pardoned nine Catalan separatist leaders who had been jailed for their role in a 2017 botched bid for independence, which was Spain's biggest political crisis in decades.