Shortly before 9am on Thursday, he appeared in Barcelona. Accompanied by the president (speaker) of the Catalan Parliament, Josep Rull, and other leaders of his party such as Jordi Turull, Laura Borràs and Artur Mas, he walked along C. Trafalgar. A crowd gathered at the Arc del Triomf. "They have been chasing us for seven years for wanting to listen to the voice of the people of Catalonia. Years ago a very harsh repression began."
In a speech lasting less than five minutes, he said that "they" had turned being Catalan into something suspicious. "Despite the efforts to do us a lot of harm, today I have come here to remind them that we are still here. The right to self-determination belongs to the people, it is a collective right. Let us be clear, holding a referendum is not and will never be a crime. 2.3 million people voted seven years ago."
Puigdemont fled Spain after the October 2017 referendum, which was deemed unlawful, and a declaration of Catalan independence.
Prior to his return, he wrote on X: "The parliament has summoned all deputies to the investiture debate for the next president. I have to be there and I want to be there. That is why I have begun the journey back from exile."
However, he didn't make it to the debate. Soon after he made his speech, he disappeared. An operation has been mounted to find and arrest him. The Mossos d’Esquadra police in Catalonia have arrested a member of the force, who is suspected of having assisted Puigdemont.
The debate for the investiture was suspended, Puigdemont's party, Junts, having called for a suspension because of the operation to arrest the ex-president.
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Tarradellas .2 (he wished)