The demonstration called by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) and the Consell de la República in Barcelona last Saturday, February 7, 2026, gathered around 8,000 people, according to data from the Guàrdia Urbana (Local Police). The protest, led by Lluís Llach, aimed to claim sovereignty as the only solution to the chaos in the Rodalies railway network, which the singer-songwriter described as "colonial treatment" by the Spanish State.
“"it wants to be a definitive signal that enough is enough with the humiliations that the Spanish State continuously imposes on Catalonia."
Among the notable attendees was Jordi Turull, Secretary General of Junts, who demanded that the Govern choose between Renfe or serving the citizens, arguing that the Generalitat must assume full ownership of Rodalies. Turull also called for the resignation of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque.
“"Incompetence, disinformation, and neglect cannot be rewarded."
From the acting Govern, President Albert Dalmau respected the demands, assuring that the future Illa executive will be the one to "fix it, once and for all" with investments and a transfer "that has no turning back." For her part, Minister Sílvia Paneque merely reported on the resumption of the R4 circulation in the Sant Feliu de Llobregat section after a landslide.
Other political leaders also criticized the situation. Xavier Antich, president of Òmnium, labeled the Spanish State a "failed state" due to disinvestment and "mistreatment" of Catalans. Laura Pelay (Vice-Secretary of ERC) added that the Catalan railway system is in a state of "bankruptcy" that affects the mental health of users.
