Catalan pro-independence groups have begun protesting in Barcelona against a Spanish Cabinet meeting that will be held today  in Llotja de Mar, a historic building in the center of the city.

The executive of Socialist Party (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that it would be holding the meeting in the Catalan capital, after having done the same in Andalusia, in a bid to bring the central government closer to the people. But given the ongoing independence drive in the northeastern Spanish region, and tensions between the regional government and Madrid, pro-secession supporters have interpreted the move as a provocation, and groups such as the self-styled Committee for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) have called for mass protests.

CDR activists began demonstrating early this morning, blocking dozens of roads, including the AP7 highway at L’Ampolla and N-11 in Figueres, as well as the main access points into Barcelona. By 7.30am, 23 road sections were affected by the blockades. The Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, managed to clear many of the roads but the AP7 remains blocked. Mossos officers have helped cars trapped on the highway return to Girona and are now working with stranded trucks.

Protesters meanwhile have begun gathering at Laitana avenue and Drassanes in the city. The CDR have called for people to surround Llotja de Mar and asked followers to block the streets of the Catalan capital with their cars.

The protest group also threatened to block roads leading to the Barcelona El Prat airport, prompting many passengers to arrive hours earlier for their flights. Despite the warning, the airport is running as normal.

The protests come a day after Sánchez and Catalan premier Quim Torra agreed to work on “effective dialogue” at a private meeting in Barcelona. In a joint press release, the leaders said they were committed to finding a “political proposal that is widely supported by the Catalan people.” They agreed that there was a “conflict about the future of Catalonia” and while they accepted there are “notable differences on its origin, character and path to resolution,” promised to move forward through dialogue.