Protesters gathered in the Catalan town of Girona early on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of a banned independence referendum, some of them throwing eggs at police and toppling garbage containers. Tensions between separatists in the region and Madrid have run high in recent days after Spain’s high court sent seven Catalan activists to jail over suspicions they were planning violent action in favour of Catalonia’s independence. Police had cordoned off the train station and other key buildings in Girona, a small town at the heart of the independence movement, at the start of a day that will gauge the strength of the movement. The Girona protest, attended by around 150 people, was organised by the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR), among other entities. They have staged periodic protests since separatist leaders were arrested after the October 2017 referendum and short-lived declaration of independence. The separatist movement has so far been peaceful, but the seven arrested last week over accusations that they were preparing violent actions were alleged to be linked with the CDR.