Oriol Junqueras

Thousands gathered on Sept. 21 at the gates of Catalonia's regional judicial body in Barcelona to demand the release of a dozen officials arrested in connection with a vote on independence that Spanish authorities are challenging as illegal.

Catalonia's separatist government on Sunday again urged Spain's central government to let it hold a legal referendum on independence like the one Scotland staged in 2014 with London's approval, according to Deutsche Welle.

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans are expected to back independence from Spain on Nov. 9 in a symbolic referendum on secession that they hope will propel the issue further despite opposition from Madrid.