BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – More than 700 mayors from Catalonia are meeting in Barcelona in a show of strength amid pressure from Spain’s central government not to hold an independence referendum for the northeastern region that has been deemed illegal by the courts.
Political tensions in Spain are increasing as the proposed voting date of Oct. 1 nears. The Catalan government has been scrambling to push forward the vote, despite the central government’s warnings that local municipalities are not allowed to use public buildings for it and mayors can be legally prosecuted for it.
Hundreds of mayors stood Saturday next to regional President Carles Puigdemont and Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau.
Puigdemont thanked them for not backing down and insisted that most Catalans are determined to press ahead with the referendum despite the ban.
A number of the mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Catalan mayors under investigation gather at the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Catalan mayors under investigation gather outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, center, stands with a number of mayors under investigation, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, second right, walks with a number of mayors under investigation, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, foreground, walks with a number of mayors under investigation, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, foreground, walks with a number of mayors under investigation, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Catalan mayors under investigation meet at the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
A large number of the Catalan mayors under investigation gather outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Catalan mayors under investigation gather at the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling by the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Last week, Spain’s constitutional court decided to suspend an independence referendum that Catalan leaders had penciled in for Oct. 1 while judges decide if it is unconstitutional, as the central government in Madrid has argued. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, meets the Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
A pro Independence demonstrator gestures as Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People wave esteladas or independence flags in support as Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People wave esteladas or independence flags in support as Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People hold banners, one of them reading in Catalan “We will vote” as Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People wave esteladas or independence flags in support as Catalan mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
A pro Independence demonstrator gestures – four fingers symbolizing the four bars of the Catalonian flag, as mayors under investigation take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People wave esteladas or independence flags and banners in support of the mayors under investigation as they take part in a march, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The President of the government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, center, walks with a number of mayors under investigation, outside the Generalitat Palace, to protest against the ruling of the constitutional court ahead of a planned independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
