We're closing our live coverage, so here's what has happened in the last couple of hours:

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told the regional parliament that Catalonia has earned its right to be independent, but stopped short of issuing a unilateral independence declaration.

Instead, he asked parliament to suspend the effect of the 1 October independence vote to enable negotiations to begin with the authorities in Madrid.

Mr Puigdemont condemned the actions of the Spanish government, including the use of force by police sent from outside Catalonia in order to stop the vote - declared illegal by the Constitutional Court.

It is unclear what Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will do next.

So what is likely to happen? Read our piece here to find out.

Tom Burridge
BBC correspondent in Barcelona

The incredible game of cat and mouse between the Madrid government and the Catalan devolved government continues.

That's been the tactic all along from the Catalan government. It's been putting threats on the table, it's been speaking to the media and saying: "I will go ahead and declare independence from Spain come what may"; "I will hold that referendum of more than a week ago even though it has been declared illegal by the Spanish state, even though they try to arrest officials and try to break it up".

And now Carles Puigdemont is saying: "I am still going to declare independence from Spain, but I am giving them some time, a window."

That is a window where there can in theory be mediation - and we are hearing that there are mediation efforts tonight by an international organisation - according to our sources involving very very senior international political figures.

In a sense his stark warnings haven't changed. But he will still be under pressure, not only from his own party but other pro-independence Catalan parties which he depends on for a majority in parliament to actually keep this whole project going.

He's given them maybe enough, but is their patience going to run out? And then there's the other dimension in this - the Spanish government in Madrid.

The Spanish government has rejected Catalonia's "tacit" independence declaration, AFP reports.

A central government spokesperson told AFP: "It's unacceptable to make a tacit declaration of independence to then suspend it in an explicit manner."

The BBC's Anna Lindsay has posted a video showing muted pro-independence supporters dispersing after the speech.

The BBC's Maria Byrne is in Barcelona and says the mood among pro-independence supporters is downbeat.

More on what opposition leader Inés Arrimadas, from the centre-right Citizens party, had to say.

"This has been the chronicle of a blow to democracy, Parliament, Spain and the European Union", she said.

"They (the Catalan government) have managed to wake up the silenced majority, through their speeches, through their media. Those millions of Catalans will not be silent again."

The BBC's Tom Burridge is in Barcelona watching events unfold. He has some early thoughts on what just happened.

Here are the key points from Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's speech.

• He acknowledged that his people voted for independence from Spain.
• But he asked the regional parliament in Barcelona to suspend the effect of the independence vote so talks with the Spanish government could begin.
• Mr Puigdemont said he wanted to "de-escalate" the tension around the issue.
• He condemned the Spanish government's response - including the violence caused by police trying to stop the vote.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says he wants to "follow the people's will for Catalonia to become an independent state".

Inés Arrimadas, the leader of the main opposition party, the centre-right Citizens, is now speaking.

"Nationalism represents division, our path is the European Union, which represents unity," she says.

"Today I assume the mandate for Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic," says Mr Puigdemont.

But he adds: "We're suspending the declaration of independence for a few weeks, because we want a reasonable dialogue, a mediation with the Spanish state."

"The ballots say Yes to independence this is the will that I want to go forward with," Mr Puigdemont tells parliament.

"At this historical moment as the president of Catalonia, I want to follow people's will for Catalonia to become an independent state."

The Catalan leader says he wants to send Spaniards who may be concerned about the independence push "a message of serenity and respect and a will of dialogue".

"We are not mad... we are not rebels, we are just normal people who want the vote," he says.

"We have nothing against Spain - it's the oppose, we want to have a better understanding."

"We asked 18 times," Mr Puigdemont says. "All we wanted was a Scottish-style referendum where both sides were able to put their views forward. We were denied, time and time again."

Mr Puigdemont is talking about the history of the independence efforts in Catalonia. You can read about it here in our helpful explainer.

Mr Puigdemont goes on to condemn the actions of Spanish authorities to block the banned referendum on 1 October. Police officers prevented some people from voting, and seized ballot papers and boxes at polling stations."The objective was to create panic and fear and make people stay at home," says the Catalan leader.

"But it went wrong – they didn’t achieve their objective because more than two million people went against that fear."

Image source, Carles Puigdemont

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont takes the stand and starts by explaining he will talk about the consequences of the controversial referendum on 1 October.

"It has become obvious that it is not an internal issues any longer. Catalonia is now an European matter," he says.

He says he is "not planning any threats or any insults" but instead wants to "de-escalate the tension".

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The session has started.

The BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler is outside the parliament building where pro-independence demonstrators are waiting to hear Mr Puigdemont.

Members of Catalan's parliament appear to be gathering again. Mr Puigdemont is expected to give his address shortly, after it was delayed by an hour.