Barcelona, Oct 29 (AFP) Pro-unity protesters gathered fora rally in Catalonia's capital Barcelona today, two days afterregional lawmakers voted to break away from Spain, plungingthe country into an unprecedented political crisis.
As protesters gathered for the march, the deputypresident of the region's now-deposed government lashed outagainst Madrid over what he called a "coup d'etat".
"The president of the country is and will remain CarlesPuigdemont," his deputy Oriol Junqueras wrote in Catalannewspaper El Punt Avui.
Junqueras used the word "country" to refer to Catalonia,whose lawmakers pushed Spain into uncharted waters Friday witha vote to declare the region independent.
"We cannot recognise the coup d'etat against Catalonia,nor any of the anti-democratic decisions that the PP (PrimeMinister Mariano Rajoy's ruling Popular Party) is adopting byremote control from Madrid," Junqueras wrote.
He signed the article as the "vice president of thegovernment of Catalonia".
The Catalan crisis was triggered by a banned independencereferendum on October 1 that was shunned by many, and marredby police violence.
Then on Friday, Catalan lawmakers passed a motion, by 70votes out of 135 in the secessionist-majority regionalparliament, to declare the region of 7.5 million peopleindependent from Spain.
Rajoy responded by deposing the regional government,dissolving its parliament, and calling December 21 electionsto replace them.
Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, wastemporarily put in charge of administering the rebel region.
As prosecutors prepared to file charges of rebellionagainst Puigdemont next week, he too was defiant on Saturday,calling for "democratic opposition" to Madrid's power grab.
Puigdemont accused the central government of trampling onthe will of independence-seeking Catalans with the firstcurtailment of regional autonomy since Francisco Franco'sbrutal 1939-75 dictatorship.
Barcelona readied for Sunday's anti-independence marchunder the slogan: "Catalonia is all of us!"Television footage showed people streaming out of a metrostation near the march, draped in Spanish flags.
The rally is due to kick off at noon near where tens ofthousands of people celebrated the new "republic" with song,wine and fireworks just two days earlier.
"Viva Espana!" cried Sunday's protesters, whose chantmeans "long live Spain".
Participants at the rally will include representatives ofthree Catalan opposition parties -- including Rajoy'sconservative PP, in what may amount to the start of anelection campaign.(AFP)AMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.