Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has made his first visit to Catalonia since imposing direct rule on the region a fortnight ago.<br /><br />Addressing the crowds at a campaign event in Barcelona he showed support for his Popular Party’s candidates ahead of regional elections next month. <br /><br />Spain’s government called the election after Catalonia’s Parliament voted in favour of a declaration of independence on 27 October.<br /><br />His visit comes a day after hundreds of thousands of Catalans protested against the jailing of regional officials for their push for independence from Spain. <br /><br />The demonstrators gathered on an avenue next to the regional parliament building waving Catalan independence flags and chanting “Freedom!” while some held up banners announcing: “SOS Democracy”.<br /><br />Police estimated the number of protesters at 750,000.<br />
