Up against Spain's government, can Catalonia's president stick to his dream of independence?

AMER, Spain - The medieval square in Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's tiny hometown of Amer is lined with Estelada flags and banners supporting independence from Spain.

Banners proclaim "Democracy" and "Not a step back" and "Yes."

"It's a personal but also a collective struggle," Puigdemont said in a text to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. "It has committed Catalans from all around the country, from all stratas of life, all ideologies, all generations."

As Catalonia's parliament meets in Barcelona on Thursday, Puigdemont is expected to proclaim independence for