Well into Friday night, the 'March for Freedom' continues across the Catalan region as protesters rail against the imprisonment of nine independence policians, austerity and Spanish government repression.

After Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan independence leaders last Monday to between nine and 13 years in prison for sedition over their role in a failed independence bid two years ago, protests against their imprisonment have erupted across the region.

Over the course of the week protests and strikes have paralyzed both Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia. As of Wednesday, more than 130 wounded are reported wounded. One of them, a 22-year-old woman, lost an eye as a result of a rubber bullet shot by the police. That night, 33 demonstrators were arrested. 

The peaceful daytime protests have been turning more violent at night, complete with police repression. By Thursday night, ​​neo-Nazi factions were out in Barcelona provoking independence protesters, many of whom are calling for not only the release of the nine former politicians, but the adoption of a slew of social service and labor programs for the region, including universal healthcare and gender equality at work.