Hundreds of people have been injured in violent clashes as riot police shut down polling stations on the day of the controversial independence referendum in Catalonia.
Officers were seen stamping and kicking protesters as they stormed buildings and seized ballot boxes.
Footage captured in the village of Sarria de Ter in the province of Girona showed authorities using an axe to smash down the doors of a polling station where Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his vote.
And in Barcelona, the region's capital, officers fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters demonstrating against their votes being denied.
At least 460 people have been hurt in the clashes across Catalonia, the city's mayor said, while Spain's interior ministry said at least 11 police officers had been injured.
And tens of thousands of fans have been banned from attending FC Barcelona's football match with Las Palmas as part of a protest against the violence.
Spain's Constitutional Court has suspended the referendum and the central government says it is illegal.
But regional separatist leaders pledged to hold it anyway and called on the area's 5.3million eligible voters to show up to cast their ballots. [/quote[
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ice-clash-voters-Catalonia.html#ixzz4uHVUeAgi
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Spain is just trying to enforce its national borders but these extremist Catalonians want to rebel against Spanish nationalism. Sad!Spain must protect its sovereign interests
Yes it is.From what I know its an unconstitutional referendum anyhow.
From what I know its an unconstitutional referendum anyhow.
Madrid is reacting poorly, however the catalonians reasons for indepedency are mostly emotional
Madrid is reacting poorly, however the catalonians reasons for indepedency are mostly emotional
Yes it is.
But this does not justify Spanish government acts :
Spanish government is making a huge mistake using force against people who wanted to vote.
Fair enough I suppose.Fine so it does not have legal effect. That does not give the government the right to bash people's heads in.
Emotional reasoning is not the best basis for radical transformation of your society. Plus its unconstitutional.How does that make their reasons less legitimate
Because feeling "special", "superior", or even "mistreated" are often not based on rational or logical reasons. If we followed that logic every little village should be allowed to become independent.How does that make their reasons less legitimate
Fair enough I suppose.
I feel much the same way.They could have just shot down the result and quelled a couple riots afterwards. It would have blown over for another 10 years.
Trying to physically prevent the vote from taking place is one of the dumbest most hamfisted things I've ever seen & wouldn't be surprised if independence becomes an inevitability now.