| Catalan Way 2014 | |
|---|---|
 Rally held in Barcelona forming a "V" | |
| Date | 11 September 2014 |
| Location | Catalonia |
| Goals | Independence of Catalonia |
| Methods | Political rally,street protest |
TheCatalan Way 2014 (Catalan:Via Catalana 2014), or "V", was a large gathering in Barcelona on 11 September 2014, theNational Day of Catalonia, in support of theCatalan self-determination referendum of 2014 and ofCatalan independence from Spain. It was organized by "Now is the Time",[1] a unified campaign organised and funded by theAssemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) and theÒmnium Cultural. Two massivesenyeres (Catalan flags), created by demonstrators wearing red and yellow T-shirts forming a giant human mosaic, filled theDiagonal and theGran Via, and came together at the vortex inPlaça de les Glòries, forming a giant "V", symbolizing "victory", "vote" and "will" (Catalan:victòria, votar, voluntat).[2] The "V" was 11 kilometers in length and about 200,000 square meters in area.[3] Estimates of the attendance varied: though the Spanish government's office in Catalonia put it at about 500,000,Barcelona's Municipal Police put it at 1.8 million.[3] An independent statistical analysis by theAutonomous University of Barcelona calculated that 900,000 people attended.[4] The organisers, the grassrootsAssemblea Nacional Catalana, said it was one of the biggest peaceful mobilizations in European history.[5]
The demonstration followed similar protests in2010,2012 and 2013 (the originalCatalan Way). It was followed by theFree Way to the Catalan Republic (2015) andGo ahead, Catalan Republic (2016).