Separatists began gathering in Barcelona on Tuesday to celebrate Catalonia’s commemorative day and boost its bid for independence. The event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands onto the city’s streets. Catalan leader Quim Torra and his predecessor Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Brussels, have urged a big turnout to show continued support for a split from Spain, Reuters reports. “Our government has committed to making the republic a reality,” Torra said on Monday in a televised address. Supporters of seceding the wealthy northeastern region from the rest of the country have in recent years used the celebration of “Diada,” the September 11 anniversary of the fall of Barcelona to Spain in 1714, to promote their cause with mass demonstrations.