Fear and joy in Barcelona as parliament declares independence

As Catalonias regional parliament declared independence, the mood in Barcelona was mixed -- part festive, part fearful as the central government was poised to impose direct rule on the semi-autonomous region to stop its drive to break from Spain.

"It has cost us so much to get here," 38-year-old social worker Judith Rodriguez said in a jubilant crowd, tears in her eyes after Catalonia's regional parliament declared independence in a ballot boycotted by opposition MPs.

"I am very emotional about finally moving forward, to be able to build a republic, a new country, from scratch," added Rodriguez, who wore a t-shirt with the slogan "fem pais" or "let's build a country".

Joan Servitje, a 66-year-old grandfather and waiter, said he felt that Catalan independence was the only way to preserve the region's distinctive culture, history, identity, and language -- something he argued should not be taken for granted.

"I was not taught Catalan at school. Back then, it was forbidden," he said, serving coffees and omelettes to customers in bar Haiti and referring to former dictator Francisco Franco's repression of Catalonia.

"The language, the identity of the people. You cannot destroy the identity of the people."

He said over decades of work he had seen clients become "more independent", "especially in the last ten years" and that he backed independence in a disputed referendum earlier this month.

Spain's Constitutional Court ruled the ballot illegal, but separatists continued to push their agenda forward until Friday's parliamentary vote.

The declaration of independence, though, will likely be short-lived as it is not recognised by Madrid or abroad, and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's central government is poised to take over Catalan political powers and finances.

Many Catalans -- be they pro- or against independence -- treasure their region's autonomy highly, and feel this is a drastic move.

"There is no going back," said Servitje, whose views are supported by his elder sister, Montserrat Servitje.

"I agree with independence, but not the form that it has taken," she said while combing her grey hair and putting on pink lipstick.

"We do not know how the story is going to end," she added, concerned about how events would develop.

'On the Spanish side'

In a nearby charcuterie, among a display of giant hanging hams, 24-year-old Pol Aranda was cutting up meat while discussing the political tensions.

"I have always been on the Spanish side," he said.

But he admitted that police violence during the outlawed independence referendum on October 1 had shaken him.

"I do not agree with Spanish politics but I do not agree with those here either," he said, describing the recent rows between Catalan separatist leaders and Madrid as a "game of power".

"The separatists are extremely fervent, the young especially and also very, very old people because they want to live for something before they die," he said, while joking that victory in the Champions League may be the only way to reconcile people.

On Sant Jaume square, sitting in front of the art gallery where she works, 34-year-old Ana Moran questioned the priorities of the politicians.

"The separatists don't have a road map," she said.

She explained that she had wanted to cast a spoilt ballot in the referendum but didn't due to "too much waiting, too many IT problems."

And now, things have become really "dramatic," she said.

"We already had the attacks," she said, referring to the series of jihadist attacks in and around Barcelona that killed 16 people in August.

"And with what the Catalan government is doing..."