People hold "estelada" flags, Catalan separatist flags, during a gathering to mark the Calatalonia day "Diada" in central Barcelona September 11, 2014. Hundreds of thousands of Catalans were expected to throng the streets of Barcelona on Thursday to demand the right to vote on a split from Spain, with their ambitions boosted by an independence referendum scheduled for next week in Scotland. About half a million Catalans have signed up to dress in red and yellow, the colors of the Catalan flag, to form a "V" for "vote", organizers say, a show of support for the perceived right to decide on a status separate from Spain. REUTERS/Albert Gea (SPAIN - Tags: POLITICS)