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Protesters block highways as Catalan parliament presses for independence

Pro-Catalan independence protesters clashed with police on a section of blocked motorway on Wednesday (November 13), just a day after Catalonia's parliament again made its case for self-rule away from Spain.

A group known as Democratic Tsunami claimed responsibility for the disturbance on a stretch of the AP-7 motorway near Girona, which runs between France and Spain.

Police in riot gear moved in to disperse the crowd, after motorists in both directions were left stranded because of blockades and fires having been lit by protesters.

Spain's Constitutional Court had previously warned of legal consequences, following the motion made a day earlier by the Catalan parliament to quote "exercise the right of self-determination in a concrete way."

A spokeswoman for the parliament has since told Reuters the call for political action is not binding and to avoid a legal dispute with the Spanish courts, it was not included in the official parliamentary register.

However, Catalan prosecutors' are now being asked by Spain's state prosecution office to investigate if the actions still constituted a crime.