History's Affect on Catalonia's Bid for Independence

There are banners hanging below the windows of flats declaring: “The Spanish government killed our democracy, but it will never shut a Catalan's mouth.” The estelada—the flag of Catalonian separatism—is everywhere. More often than not, Barcelonins walking on crowded streets such as La Rambla, the Avinguda Diagonal, or the Via Laietana wear a yellow ribbon on their clothing—a symbol not only of the independence movement but a quiet protest against the arrest of Catalan political leaders by Spanish authorities after last year's October 1 independence referendum.