Hundreds of thousands of Catalans in Barcelona have marked their national day - the "Diada" - in support of an independence referendum.
The 11 September Diada marks the fall of Barcelona in the War of Spanish Succession in 1714 - a defeat for Catalan forces.
The city's streets were a mass of red and yellow flags three weeks ahead of the planned vote - which the Spanish government has deemed illegal.
Catalonia's pro-independence government has passed a law to secede from Spain if the vote is Yes.
Opinion polls suggest the vote, if it takes place, will be very close.
With their own language and customs, Catalans already have much autonomy
Those who gathered in Barcelona - many sporting T-shirts in the national colours - were hopeful the vote would go ahead, despite Spain's Constitutional Court placing a legal block on the independence referendum.
A majority of Catalans want the vote to go ahead, polls suggest, to settle the thorny issue of independence.
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