Many separatists say their Catalan language is what makes them feel most different from the rest of Spain. The language was prohibited during years of dictatorship, but now it's ubiquitous in schools.
Catalonia's independence referendum is scheduled for Oct. 1, but polls show as many as half of Catalans don't favor it. "For business owners, independence is a loaded issue," says a Catalan winemaker.
The Spanish government says the Oct. 1 vote on Catalan independence is illegal. Tens of thousands of people marched in Barcelona to support the scheduled vote, clashing with police overnight.
Spain considers the Catalonian referendum, set for Oct. 1, to be illegal. Spanish police raided government offices and detained at least a dozen separatist leaders, prompting street protests.
Most in the terrorist cell were employed or in school and showed no signs of radicalization. Their skill at avoiding detection sends chills down the spines of authorities working to prevent attacks.
Catalan separatists are arguing that Spanish police failed to keep them safe. Spain's king was booed at a vigil for victims in Barcelona. An independence referendum is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Multiple suspects reportedly testified that an imam masterminded an initial plot to carry out a large-scale attack using explosives. The imam was killed in a blast before last week's vehicle attacks.
Catalan police confirmed that the man they shot and killed in the town of Subirats was Younes Abouyaaqoub, the alleged driver of the van that hit and killed pedestrians in Barcelona.
The service was held as authorities continue a manhunt for the 22-year-old Moroccan believed to be the driver of a van that plowed into pedestrians on a popular promenade.