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Roads blocked and tyres set alight as Catalan separatists protest against leaders' trial

Catalan separatists took part in a general strike on Thursday in protest against an ongoing trial in Madrid of the region's 12 leaders. The dozen separatists are in the dock over a referendum and subsequent declaration of independence made in 2017. If found guilty, the group could each face up to 25 years in jail. Two protests, organised by pro-independence supporters, were scheduled in Barcelona during Thursday's strike — one for midday, and one in the early evening. Disruptions were reported on major motorways across the region as separatists tried to block a number of roads. The C-16 motorway was blocked after protesters set tyres alight, with thick smoke billowing into the sky, while Catalonia's traffic service also monitored other disruptions due to the ongoing strike. Thursday's strike followed huge pro-independence protests on Saturday evening , which saw 200,000 people, according to police figures, gather in the streets of Barcelona. Organisers placed the attendance estimates at more than double this figure.