As we reported this morning, the Catalonian referendum got off to a violent start this morning, with riot police blocking the voters from entering polling stations and people being hit with batons. The first images coming out of Spain in Europe this morning were of an old woman being hit by a police officer.
http://thegoldwater.com/news/8969-Breaking-Spanish-Riot-Police-Fighting-Voters-in-Catalonia
During the day, the voters only came in larger droves and the police violence only got worse. If Catalonian authorities are to be believed the total number of wounded voters at this point stands at 465, and Europe is watching with disbelief at what is taking place in Barcelona today.
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CatalanReferendum?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CatalanReferendum</a> so where is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HumanRights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HumanRights</a> groups? so what is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/European?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#European</a> commissioner for human rights job? where are they? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalonia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catalonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/0cpA93q15u">pic.twitter.com/0cpA93q15u</a></p>— Botin Kurdistani (@kurdistannews24) <a href="https://twitter.com/kurdistannews24/status/914520075427647488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont commented: "The unjustified use of violence… by the Spanish state will not stop the will of the Catalan people."
Police declared that 12 police officers had been hurt and 90 polling stations were closed due to people refusing to comply with Spanish government orders.
One voter, Júlia Graell, said: "police started to kick people, young and old. Today, I have seen the worst actions that a government can do to the people of its own country."
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">friends in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Barcelona?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Barcelona</a> asked me to share some videos of the police violence today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/1O?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#1O</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalunya?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catalunya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalonia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catalonia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catalu%C3%B1a?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cataluña</a> <a href="https://t.co/1WYWcDPXZg">pic.twitter.com/1WYWcDPXZg</a></p>— Anna Bauer Carr (@AnnaBauerCarr) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaBauerCarr/status/914506069413695490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The match of Football team FC Barcelona, which is normally played in front of a 75,000 spectator crowd, was played for an empty stadium after police had said they could not guarantee the safety of attendants and the Spanish football league had refused to reschedule the match;
Those who had been able to vote, said it as liberating to do so and they hoped that Catalonia would declare independence from Spain soon, certainly after witnessing what happened today
The voting paper contained a single question: "Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?" The public was then asked to cross a box for yes or no.
In Edinburgh, Scotland, there was a march in support of Catalonian independence today. The Scots want to organize another referendum on independence if Catalonia gets a positive result.
It is unclear when the result of the Catalonian vote will be announced. But it is very clear Spain will reject it.
Source:
stevedellar
12:48 PM
