Shameful response to Spanish situation

Sir, - One cannot fail to have been moved by the scenes of violence in Catalonia, as Spanish forces attacked unarmed voters.

Whatever the view on Catalonia’s right to hold such a vote or not, the response by the Spanish national government was brutal and excessive, leading to 844 people being injured.

The sight of people being dragged from polling stations by baton wielding police and the disabled being attacked in wheelchairs has no place in a modern western democracy.

One cannot praise highly enough the calmness, humanity and bravery of the Catalan people when faced with such appalling acts of violence.

What is deeply disappointing is the muted response from the international community which, bar a few exceptions such as Angela Merkel, the Belgian prime minister Charles Michel and Nicola Sturgeon, has been largely silent.

While the European Union may argue that this is a domestic situation, in the past it has been willing to act in such matters.

In 2000, for example, it imposed diplomatic sanctions on Austria when Joerg Haider’s extreme right wing Austrian Freedom Party entered the Government.

The Tory Government is so morally bankrupt that little more was to be expected than the pathetic response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when it referred to Spain as a “close ally and a good friend, whose strength and unity matters to us”. Alex Orr. 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.

Picture: AP. Numerous demonstrations have been held in Spain.