About 30 Catalan expats gathered under Freo’s Rainbow sculpture last week to protest against the sacking of their government and the imprisonment of several ministers by the Spanish government.

The protest was timed to coincide with a rally of 45,000 Catalans in Brussels, where ousted president Carles Puigdemont has taken refuge.

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Wearing yellow, which has come to symbolise Catalan’s bid to secede from Spain following the October 1 referendum which sparked the crisis, local spokesperson Imma Farre said they were hoping to push the international community to mediate.

“As citizens of a so-called western democracy, we are outraged by the events happening in our country,” Dr Farre said.

“The central government has completely undermined the outcome in favour or independence resulting from the last elections,”