CATALONIA: Thousands gathered in Barcelona on Saturday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of an independence referendum to break away from the rest of Spain.

The 2017 vote, which was declared unconstitutional by Spain’s top courts, was marred by clashes with police who tried but mostly failed to confiscate ballot boxes.

The pro-independence side won by a landslide, but most of those in favour of remaining in Spain boycotted the vote.