Thousands took to the streets in Barcelona on Saturday urging the Spanish government to take in more refugees. The protestors held that the country had promised in 2015 to take in more than 17,000 refugees from war-torn countries in two years, however, it had only given refuge to 1,100 people during the period, reported BBC.

Protestors raised slogans against the government and waved banner that read “Enough Excuses! Take Them In Now!” and “No More Deaths, Open The Borders!”. The protests were organised by the Our Home is Your Home group. While the local police said at least 1,60,000 people marched in the Catalonia region on Saturday, the organisers held that more than 3,00,000 people took part in the demonstrations.

“We demand this minimum amount of dignity – that at least this number of refugees can come. In Catalonia, everything is ready to welcome them,” said Jacint Comelles, a protestor. Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau also took part in the demonstrations. “It is very important that in a Europe of uncertainty where xenophobia is on the rise for Barcelona to be a capital of hope,” Colau told The Independent.