Barcelona sealed off as police hunt for Carles Puigdemont

Catalan police have locked down Barcelona to capture separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who appeared briefly at a rally and then vanished. Checkpoints have been set up to find him as he is wanted by Spanish authorities since 2017.

During his appearance, he rallied supporters with a message of resilience, stating, “Despite all the efforts to do us harm, I have come here today to remind them that we are still here.”

Puigdemont’s return generated high expectations before a parliamentary vote, and although police confirmed he hadn’t been detained, it remains unclear how he would enter the session without risking arrest. If captured, he could face trial in Madrid.