Independence Day in Catalonia (VIDEO)

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans were expected to throng the streets of Barcelona on Friday 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.