Catalan protesters outside EU Parliament to show support for Puigdemont

Catalan protestors gathered outside the European Parliament on Monday to show their support for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont who takes his seat as Member of the European Parliament.

Protestors waved Catalan flags and held banners showing photos of Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia, who was jailed by Spain's top court for his role in the Catalan independence referendum.

Although the European Court of Justice had ruled that Junqueras could be released from jail to take his seat as MEP, last week Spain's top court denied him immunity and, therefore, release.

Puigdemont arrived at the legislature in the early afternoon, cheered by a few hundred supporters who had over a dozen Catalan flags fluttering in the midday winds outside the legislature in northeastern France. “Puigdemont president,” they shouted in unison.

Puigdemont arrived together with fellow EU legislator and former Catalan minister Toni Comín. Spain tried to ban us, he said, “but today we are here, finally.”

The two are wanted in Spain for their role in an illegal 2017 secession bid by the Catalan government and separatist lawmakers. They fled in exile to Belgium after the attempt failed and were elected to the European Parliament in May as representatives of Catalan separatist parties from Spain.

The regional Catalan coalition government was also in Strasbourg in support.