Catalan separatists clash with police at Sagrada Família during Pope Leo XIV visit

A group of Catalan separatists gathered near the Sagrada Família on the day Pope Leo XIV passed through Barcelona, intending to shout at the pontiff and display pro‑independence flags. Police barred the crowd, citing a lack of permit, and the protest remained under two hundred participants despite backing from Carles Puigdemont and organisations such as Òmnium Cultural and the ANC. No incidents were reported.

Later the same day, about three hundred people assembled at the basilica’s foot to sing the Catalan anthem “Els Segadors” and other traditional songs in protest of the police removal of roughly five hundred choir singers. The singers had been expelled after officials found pro‑secessionist symbols on their sheet music. The demonstration was supported by the ANC, former president Quim Torra and other political figures, who called for the resignation of the archbishop of Barcelona. Police activity remained confined to the interior of the church, and no further clashes occurred.