Catalonia Self-Determination Referendum

On September 11, 2014, 1.8 million Catalonians created an 11.5 km human mosaic of the Senyera as part of a mass demonstration in favor of the 9 November 2014 independence referendum [ACN, 2014]. The size and scale of this demonstration showcased the overwhelming support that it received, where over 81% (out of a turnout of between 37-41% of the voting population) voted in favor of the referendum [Frayer, 2014]. This symbolic, non-binding ballot, which had been held after Spain had ruled out the idea of a formal one in September 2014, garnered significant backlash from Madrid [BBC, 2014; Kassam, 2014; Jones, 2019]. The Prime Minister at the time, Mariano Rajoy, declared that the ballot was undemocratic, and the Constitutional Court declared it illegal in early November [BBC, 2018; Rodriguez, 2019; Jones, 2019]. Many figures who orchestrated the vote, including Artur Mas, former Vice President Joana Ortega, and former Education Minister Irene Rigau, were fined and barred from holding office in March of 2017 [Jones, 2017]. As a result of the 2014 referendum, relations between Barcelona and Madrid further deteriorated. Succeeding leadership announced a second, binding referendum and helped set in motion a series of events that would lead to a constitutional crisis.