民間發起今晚於中環遮打花園舉行「加泰人權自由集會」，早前網上引起激烈辯論。網民引述美國共和黨海外事務組織副主席及行政總裁俞懷松（Solomon Yue）的Twitter貼文，呼籲港人勿把反送中扣連上「加獨」；有網民認為撐加泰集會可能影響美國參議院審議《香港人權與民主法案》，勸喻公眾切勿出席。
集會不反對通知書申請人劉頴匡稱，集會一定如期舉行，「今次集會係要求大家注視加泰警暴情況，以及捍衞人權自由等普世價值，因為佢哋面對嘅同香港好似。但我哋唔會干預其他國家內政，只係處理人道問題」。
有網民認為，參與集會就等於支持加獨，繼而被扣上支持港獨帽子，集會另一召集人中大學生會前會長周竪峰則認為，若以這個邏輯思維，就跟大陸亂扣港獨帽子一樣，「難道任何一個地方有分離主義，就唔值得有人權、言論自由？」
晚上7時，數千人聚集於遮打花園，包括很多西班牙及加泰隆尼亞人，手持加泰國旗，高叫「與加泰並肩」(Stand with Catalonia)。
Netizens launched a “Hong Kong-Catalonia Solidarity Rally” at Chater Garden tonight, which caused a heated debate on the Internet. Netizens quoted a Twitter post by Solomon Yue, vice-chairman and CEO of Republican Overseas, calling on Hong Kong people not to link the anti-extradition movement to Catalonia independence; some netizens believe that may affect the US Senate support when reviewing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, and advise the public not to attend.
The organiser Ventus Lau said that the rally will be held as scheduled. “This rally is focused on police brutality in Catalonia and to defend universal values such as human rights and freedom, because they face similar situation as Hong Kong. We will not intervene in the internal affairs of other countries and only deal with humanitarian issues.”
Some netizens believe that participation in the rally is tantamount to supporting independence and will be so branded by Beijing. Ernie Chow, co-organiser and former Chinese University student union president, believes that if this logic is used, it will be the same as Beijing branding the movement as separatist. “If there is separatism, are they not eligible to have human rights and freedom of speech?”
At 7 pm, thousands of protesters flooded Chater Garden, including many Spaniards and Catalonians. The waved Catalonian flags and chanted “Stand with Catalonia.”
