Barcelona rally for Catalonia draws 1.5M marchers

MADRID – Police in Barcelona say a march for the Catalonia region's "National Day" drew 1.5 million marchers — just below the 1.6 million population of Spain's second-largest city.

A Catalonia regional police official who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because of department policy says many demonstrators bussed to Barcelona for Tuesday's march.

Many Catalans claim they pay more than their fair share in taxes to the federal government, and many protesters demanded greater Catalan autonomy or outright independence.

Catalonia has said it will ask Madrid for money from a bailout fund. The region's politicians insist Catalonia wouldn't be hurting as much if tax revenue was distributed equitably — a long-standing demand. National Day marks the defeat of Catalan forces during the War of Spanish Succession.