Spain: Hundreds injured as Spanish police attack independence referendum voters in Catalonia

Spain: Hundreds injured as Spanish police attack independence referendum voters in Catalonia

BBC News

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has said he is not planning a “traumatic” split with Spain, after a disputed independence referendum on Sunday.

He said he wanted a new understanding with the central government in Madrid.
Catalan officials say voters overwhelmingly backed secession. Madrid has warned it could suspend autonomy of the wealthy north-eastern region.

Spain’s top court banned the vote and almost 900 people were hurt as Spanish police tried to stop it going ahead.

Officers from the national police and paramilitary Civil Guard seized ballot papers and boxes at a number of polling stations.

More than 2.2 million people were reported to have voted, according to Catalan authorities, out of 5.3 million registered voters.

Just under 90% of those who voted backed independence, they said.
A Catalan spokesman said more than 750,000 votes could not be counted because polling stations were closed and urns were confiscated. Turnout was put at 42.3%.

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Video: Catalonia’s independence: 90% vote ‘Yes’ to break away from Spain

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Video: Catalan referendum met with violence from Spanish riot police

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Video: Catalonia leader urges world to back vote for independence from Spain

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Video: Spanish PM: “There was no independence referendum in Catalonia”

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Video: Catalonia Declares Landslide Win In Independence Referendum Marred By Violence

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Video: Spanish Police Injure 800 in crackdown on Catalonia Independence Referendum
In Spain, tensions are escalating over Sunday’s independence referendum in the northeast region of Catalonia.

Catalan premier calls on police, Civil Guard to withdraw from region
After day of violence during independence referendum, citizens take to streets to protest. Spanish stock market down after Sunday’s events, while PM Rajoy is due to meet with rival politicians to seek consensus

EL PAÍS

After the violent scenes in Catalonia, as National Police and Civil Guard tried to stop the illegal independence referendum from going ahead, the regional government has stated it is prepared to declare independence from Spain in the coming days.

A general strike has been called in the region for Tuesday, in protest at the violence meted out by the authorities. And a total of 844 people needed medical assistance after the ugly scenes played out, and which were beamed around the world.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is set to make an appearance in Congress, and is due to call together all political parties in a bid to deal with the Catalan crisis.

Data from the poll shows some 90% of voters in the region cast their ballots in favor of independence. However, participation was just 2,262,424 of a total voter pool of 5,343,358, for a turnout rate of 42%, according to the Catalan government’s own figures. The abstention rate was 58%.