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Spain's national police start seizing ballot boxes and voting papers from Catalan polling stations
Key Points
Riot police clash with voters as polls open in Catalonia's independence referendum
Police seal off more than half polling of stations for banned referendum on Catalonian independence
Catalan independence websites blocked by Spanish government in bid to stop referendum
Spain's crackdown on Catalonia independence movement only boosting its support, says regional president
Donald Trump says Catalonia should 'stay united' with Spain
EU won't intervene in regional independence crisis in Spain
Spanish police have clashed with voters as thousands of people flocked to the polls to vote in the Catalonia independence referendum.
Riot police smashed their way into a polling station where the regional leader was expected to vote in the disputed ballot.
Civil Guard riot officers with shields used a hammer to smash the glass of the front door of the voting centre and lock cutters to force their way in.
Scuffles erupted outside between police and people waiting to vote at the polling centre in Sant Julia de Ramis.
There were no immediate reports of injuries and local television footage showed police using batons to disperse the crowds gathered outside the local sports centre.
Riot police also clashed with voters outside a Barcelona voting station, where dozens of police used riot shields to push people back, a Reuters witness said.
People waiting to vote chanted “we are people of peace” and “we are not afraid”.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, dozens of national police vehicles left their base in the port of the regional capital, Barcelona, as officers deployed to enforce the ruling.
It comes after a number of arrests in recent weeks of local government figures. Police also confiscated millions of ballot papers and sealed off hundreds of polling stations.
Spain’s constitutional court has ruled the referendum is at odds with the country’s constitution, and any result will have no legal status.
Activists and families were trying to keep schools occupied, with yoga sessions, film screenings and picnics, so they could be used as polling stations on Sunday.
This was the scene in one school in Barcelona as people prepared to spend the night there. It is due to be used a voting station in Sunday’s referendum. Catalan pro-independence residents have vowed to ignore a police ultimatum to leave the schools they are occupying by 6am – an hour before voting begins.
The main civic group behind Catalonia’s push for independence says a turnout of 1 million voters – less than a fifth of the electorate – would make the region’s secession referendum an “overwhelming success” given the Spanish government’s crackdown.
Catalan National Assembly President Jordi Sanchez said on Saturday that the central government’s efforts may inhibit turnout among the region’s 5.3 million eligible voters. It was also unclear whether the regional government would be able to distribute enough ballot equipment.
Catalan authorities had said they hoped Sunday’s referendum would generate higher turnout than the 2.3 million people who voted in a mock plebiscite in 2014. In that vote, more than 80 percent favored independence.
The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday if the “yes” vote wins no matter what the turnout is.
Enric Millo, the highest-ranking Spanish official in the region, said central authorities would tolerate informal balloting in the streets of Catalonia since that cannot be considered a valid electoral vote.
He said: “They can always put a makeshift table in the street, with some buckets, and put papers in.”
But he added: “What Catalan authorities have promised, an effective referendum with legal basis and binding, is something that won’t happen.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said: “What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy.”
Despite tensions behind the scenes, most European leaders are shying away from taking a public stand on the issue of Catalonian independence.
They’re reluctant to back either the Catalan separatists who are bucking Spanish law to hold the referendum or Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s heavy-handed efforts to block it.
The EU’s silence has been especially conspicuous since Catalan officials appealed to the bloc directly to mediate the dispute.
Catalonia is a wealthy region within Spain with its own language and culture. Should the vote take place, a “yes” vote is likely, given that most of the 40 percent of Catalans who polls show support independence are expected to cast ballots while most of those against it are not.
Hundreds gathered in the centre of Spanish capital Madrid national Spanish flags. They chanted ”Spanish unity” and “Don’t fool us – Catalonia is Spain”. Many balconies in the capital are draped with the red and yellow Spanish flag.
Some sang the Spanish fascist anthem ‘Facing the Sun’, a hymn often played during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
source: Catalan independence referendum - live updates
also some pictures i found on twitter, sh!t is going crazy over here:
Key Points
Riot police clash with voters as polls open in Catalonia's independence referendum
Police seal off more than half polling of stations for banned referendum on Catalonian independence
Catalan independence websites blocked by Spanish government in bid to stop referendum
Spain's crackdown on Catalonia independence movement only boosting its support, says regional president
Donald Trump says Catalonia should 'stay united' with Spain
EU won't intervene in regional independence crisis in Spain
Spanish police have clashed with voters as thousands of people flocked to the polls to vote in the Catalonia independence referendum.
Riot police smashed their way into a polling station where the regional leader was expected to vote in the disputed ballot.
Civil Guard riot officers with shields used a hammer to smash the glass of the front door of the voting centre and lock cutters to force their way in.
Scuffles erupted outside between police and people waiting to vote at the polling centre in Sant Julia de Ramis.
There were no immediate reports of injuries and local television footage showed police using batons to disperse the crowds gathered outside the local sports centre.
Riot police also clashed with voters outside a Barcelona voting station, where dozens of police used riot shields to push people back, a Reuters witness said.
People waiting to vote chanted “we are people of peace” and “we are not afraid”.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, dozens of national police vehicles left their base in the port of the regional capital, Barcelona, as officers deployed to enforce the ruling.
It comes after a number of arrests in recent weeks of local government figures. Police also confiscated millions of ballot papers and sealed off hundreds of polling stations.
Spain’s constitutional court has ruled the referendum is at odds with the country’s constitution, and any result will have no legal status.
Activists and families were trying to keep schools occupied, with yoga sessions, film screenings and picnics, so they could be used as polling stations on Sunday.
- Spanish police have forcefully removed a few hundred would-be voters from Barcelona polling station.
Officers with riot shields jostled with voters outside the station at a school in the Catalan capital as the crowd chanted “we are people of peace!”. Armoured vans and an ambulance were parked nearby.
- an hour ago
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has voted in Cornellà de Terri, a village in Girona province.
This was the scene in one school in Barcelona as people prepared to spend the night there. It is due to be used a voting station in Sunday’s referendum. Catalan pro-independence residents have vowed to ignore a police ultimatum to leave the schools they are occupying by 6am – an hour before voting begins.
The main civic group behind Catalonia’s push for independence says a turnout of 1 million voters – less than a fifth of the electorate – would make the region’s secession referendum an “overwhelming success” given the Spanish government’s crackdown.
Catalan National Assembly President Jordi Sanchez said on Saturday that the central government’s efforts may inhibit turnout among the region’s 5.3 million eligible voters. It was also unclear whether the regional government would be able to distribute enough ballot equipment.
Catalan authorities had said they hoped Sunday’s referendum would generate higher turnout than the 2.3 million people who voted in a mock plebiscite in 2014. In that vote, more than 80 percent favored independence.
The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday if the “yes” vote wins no matter what the turnout is.
Enric Millo, the highest-ranking Spanish official in the region, said central authorities would tolerate informal balloting in the streets of Catalonia since that cannot be considered a valid electoral vote.
He said: “They can always put a makeshift table in the street, with some buckets, and put papers in.”
But he added: “What Catalan authorities have promised, an effective referendum with legal basis and binding, is something that won’t happen.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said: “What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy.”
Despite tensions behind the scenes, most European leaders are shying away from taking a public stand on the issue of Catalonian independence.
They’re reluctant to back either the Catalan separatists who are bucking Spanish law to hold the referendum or Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s heavy-handed efforts to block it.
The EU’s silence has been especially conspicuous since Catalan officials appealed to the bloc directly to mediate the dispute.
Catalonia is a wealthy region within Spain with its own language and culture. Should the vote take place, a “yes” vote is likely, given that most of the 40 percent of Catalans who polls show support independence are expected to cast ballots while most of those against it are not.
Hundreds gathered in the centre of Spanish capital Madrid national Spanish flags. They chanted ”Spanish unity” and “Don’t fool us – Catalonia is Spain”. Many balconies in the capital are draped with the red and yellow Spanish flag.
Some sang the Spanish fascist anthem ‘Facing the Sun’, a hymn often played during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
source: Catalan independence referendum - live updates
also some pictures i found on twitter, sh!t is going crazy over here:
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