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Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has been meeting with his executive this afternoon to analyse the announcement of the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, asking the Senate to begin the process of applying article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, aimed at suspending Catalonia's self-government. The president will appear at 9pm to make an official announcement. Prior to that, and breaking with usual practice, Puigdemont has also been taking part in the demonstration called this afternoon in Barcelona by the pro-independence entities in protest at the arrest earlier in the week of Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez, respective leaders of the two major pro-independence organizations, Òmnium and the Catalan National Assembly.

While Rajoy was making his announcement today, following the specially-called Spanish cabinet meeting, a part of the Catalan government, as well as representatives of the key civil groups, were meeting. Lluís Corominas and Marta Rovira, leader and spokesperson respectively for the ruling coalition Together for Yes, left the meeting looking very serious and without making statements to the press as soon as the Spanish executive's statement had ended.

The first reaction by a member of the Catalan government was from vice president Oriol Junqueras, who made a call to defend "democracy and civil and political rights". "See you there" he added in a call to take part in the demonstration this afternoon in Barcelona, also including the march poster in his tweet.

Translation: In the face of totalitarianism, today more than ever, let's defend democracy and civil and political rights. See you there! - Oriol Junqueras

At the central administrative square of Plaça Sant Jaume, media expectation was at maximum level all morning, with dozens of television cameras competing for space with the groups of tourists who continued strolling placidly and the festive wedding parties from time to time emerging from the Barcelona Town Hall