The Assembly of Catalonia was set up on 7 November 1971 and, as an anti-Franco platform, it led popular demonstrations right through to the early years of the democratic transition. Its programme included liberty, amnesty, the Statute of Self-government as the first step towards self-determination, and co-ordination with the democratic struggle taking place elsewhere in Spain. The assembly was made up of political parties, trade unions, professional associations, local and district democratic assemblies, residents' associations and a large number of intellectuals and individuals with no particular affiliations.