Nearly 200,000 people have lined roads across the Basque region, calling for the right to decide whether they remain part of Spain.
Protesters held hands or extended scarves between themselves to form the human chain, which connected the cities of San Sebastian, Bilbao and the regional seat Vitoria.
The scarves bore the slogan “It’s in our hands” written in Basque
Organisers say 175,000 people participated, including Basque and Catalan pro-secession politicians and activists. Basque police did not give an official count
Spain’s Constitution, created in 1978 after the end of dictator Francisco Franco’s regime, states that the country is indivisible and last-year’s attempt by Catalonia to hold a secession referendum was met with a harsh legal crackdown.
Former Prime Minister with the conservative People’s Party (PP) Mariano Rajoy, who has been roundly criticised for his handling of the Catalan crisis, was ousted by Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez in a no confidence vote June 1.
Sanchez, who now heads the government following the vote, has called for renewed talks with the Catalan leadership.
While most from the Basque Country, which already has a high level of self-determination and, like Catalonia, has its own language and culture, do not support independence, many believe the population should be given the right to vote.
The human-chain protest was organised by Basque group Gure Esku Dago (In Our Own Hands) and ran from Donostia (also known as San Sebastian) to the Basque parliament in Gasteiz (Vitoria).
An Oct. 1 ballot on Catalonia’s separation from Spain and consequent unilateral declaration of independence by the regional government prompted Madrid to take control of the region and arrest the civil servants involved in the vote.