Finally the moment did come. At 3.27pm on Friday 27 October 2017, Catalonia was declared independent from Spain. It was at that very moment that the speaker of the Catalan Parliament declared a resolution that included a declaration of independence and asked the Catalan government to begin the constituent process.
In my office, just off Barcelona city centre and not far from the Catalan Parliament – and where everyone was following the event live online – the very first reaction was one of shocked silence. Had it really just happened? And, if so, what exactly had just happened?
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