350,000 protesters flood Barcelona for separatist 'freedom' rally (2) Hundreds of thousands of pro-independence demonstrators gather in Barcelona near the Catalan parliament reportedly at the request of the Catalan National Assembly and the Cultural Omnium. Catalonia has been gripped by unrest since the controversial Supreme Court verdict on October 14 which unleashed a week of huge demonstrations that quickly turned violent, with angry protesters clashing with riot police. IMAGES