Catalonia referendum: police crackdown on voters

Today, on October 1, at nine o'clock in the morning local time, a referendum on independence opened in Catalonia. Up to 5.3 million people will take part in it. Voting will last until eight in the evening. Earlier, the Spanish government declared the vote illegal and warned in advance that the results would be annulled.

Police detachments were sent to the region, which this morning severely prevented the opening of polling stations in schools, colleges and community centers. As a result of clashes with the police, 38 people have already been injured. The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, condemned the actions of the federal police: "Even such an unjustified use of force by the Spanish government will not stop the Catalans."

Source: BBC

The @policia is pushing hard now. We will resist! We will vote! #CatalanReferendum #Votarem #1oct pic.twitter.com/nzPmtx4t8T

— Carles Villacampa (@villachamp) October 1, 2017

Police officers break into buildings where polling stations are located and confiscate ballot boxes.

In Barcelona, the police opened fire with rubber bullets on thousands of people gathered trying to prevent the confiscation.

There is only one question in the referendum ballots: "Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?". And two answers are offered — yes or no.

Avanza la Policía en Sabadell pic.twitter.com/ErEIf6P0xA

— Adrián S. Berger (@sanchezberger) October 1, 2017

La Policía desaloja por la fuerza el instituto Pau Claris, de Barcelona. Te estamos contando todo el 1-O aquí ➡️ https://t.co/HRmaBMf0BF pic.twitter.com/FfM1VP82HV

— eldiario.es (@eldiarioes) October 1, 2017