Some 160,000 people demonstrated in Barcelona to demand the government allow more refugees into Spain from war-hit areas such as Syria.
Marchers carrying placards and banners-many in the Catalan language-accused the Madrid government of dragging its feet over the issue, BBC reported.
They say it has not honored its pledge made in 2015 to allow more than 17,000 refugees into Spain within two years.
Over that time, Spain has accepted only about 1,100 refugees.
Police gave the estimate of the turnout at Saturday’s protest in the capital of Catalonia, organized by the Our Home is Your Home group, with many denouncing the government for not living up to its promises.
Protest organizers quoted by local media said that as many as 300,000 people took part.
The route took them from the Barcelona city center to the Mediterranean coast, an end-point seen as highly symbolic given the fact that about 5,000 refugees are estimated to have perished in the sea in 2016.
Spain is in many respects similar to other EU countries that have fallen below target when it comes to accepting refugees.
Caption: An aerial view of the protest
