The Scotsman

Hundreds hurt as riot police sent in to stop Catalonia vote

● Internatio­nal outrage as officers use rubber bullets against crowds

- By NATALIE WALKER

More than 760 people were injured by police as they took part in a disputed referendum on Catalonian independen­ce from Spain, emergency officials said last night.

The Spanish government had pledged to stop a poll declared illegal by the country’s constituti­onal court. Prime minister Mariano Rajoy blamed the unrest on the Catalan government, and his officials branded the police actions as “proportion­ate”.

But Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau branded Mr Rajoy “a coward … hiding behind thousands of police” and demanded he resign or be removed from office as a result of the violence.

A spokesman for Catalonia’s regional government said millions of votes would be counted. It also warned the Spanish government was “the shame of Europe” and would be made to answer to the internatio­nal courts for the violent scenes.

Throughout yesterday, officers baton-charged and fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds in Catalan towns and cities. Police were filmed beating people and trying to confiscate ballot boxes.

Spain’s interior ministry said 12 police officers were injured in moves to prevent the referendum on independen­ce that saw almost 100 polling stations closed down. Many inside were parents and their children, who remained in their school buildings after the end of classes on Friday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined widespread internatio­nal condemnati­on of the violence and called on the Spanish government to

to intervene, tweeting: “The Catalonian referendum is a matter for the Spanish govt & people. Imp that Spanish constituti­on respected & rule of law upheld.”

Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull blamed the violence directly on the Spain’s leaders, saying Spanish National Police and Civil Guard forces were politicall­y motivated and showed “a clear motivation to harm citizens”.

Thousands of Catalan independen­ce supporters occupied schools and other buildings designated as polling stations in order to keep them open. In Girona, riot police smashed their way into a polling station where Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was due to vote – only for him to cast his ballot at another polling station.

Eyewitness­es spoke of officers firing rubber bullets at protesters trying to prevent National Police cars from leaving, as police confiscate­d ballot boxes.

In one location, Barcelona’s Rius i Taule school, where some voters had cast ballots before police arrived, it was reported 38 people had been injured. Manuel Condeminas, 48, an IT manager, tried to block police from driving away with the ballot boxes. He said people were repeatedly kicked and hit with batons and shields.

The Spanish government had vowed that force would notbeusedi­ntryingtos­topthe referendum, but that voting would not be legally permitted as Spain’s Constituti­onal Court had suspended the vote.

Regional separatist leaders have vowed to declare independen­ce “within 48 hours” if the Yes side wins.

In a press conference last night, Mr Rajoy blamed the unrest on the Catalan government and called the referendum “a process that has only served to sow division, to confront citizens and to provoke unwanted situations has failed” and added that it has created “serious damage to coexistenc­e”.

He also thanked police and said they had acted with “firmness and serenity”.

Emergency services said most of the wounded people, including children, had minor injuries such as bruising and cuts but that there were some serious injuries.

The PM said most Catalans had not wanted to and did not take part in the vote, contrary to a recent Catalan government poll that showed seven in ten people wanted a referendum on the region’s future. It was estimated that support for independen­ce was at about 41 per cent.

Tensions have been rising since the vote was called in early September, crystallis­ing yearsofdef­iancebysep­aratists in the affluent region, which accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economy. As one of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, Catalonia enjoys some freedoms but key areas such as infrastruc­ture and taxes are in the hands of Madrid.

Separatist Catalans have long complained of contributi­ng too much to the state while not getting enough in return.

Courts and police have been cracking down for days to halt the vote, confiscati­ng ten million paper ballots and arresting key officials involved.

Catalan flags littered the streets in the centre of Edinburgh as people took part in a march to back the vote and protest against the violence.

Capital resident Steve Gray, 48, said: “Many Scots feel an affinity with the Catalans over the issue of independen­ce and should that area want a vote on this, they should get it, just as we did.”

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said: “If the situation in Catalonia is to be resolved, the answer will come through dialogue and diplomacy, and not through violence.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said the Spanish police response was “unacceptab­le”, adding: “Police in a democracy should never drag people violently out of polling stations, whatever the arguments for or against holding a referendum.”

 ??  ?? 0 Police surround a man and a child as crowds gathered to prevent officers from stopping people voting in Sant Julia de Ramis
0 Police surround a man and a child as crowds gathered to prevent officers from stopping people voting in Sant Julia de Ramis
 ??  ?? Above, from top: Riot police fired rubber bullets at crowds in Barcelona; a woman celebrates after casting a vote in the same city; ballot boxes were confiscate­d by police. Right, crowds in Edinburgh yesterday showed their support for the Catalan vote
Above, from top: Riot police fired rubber bullets at crowds in Barcelona; a woman celebrates after casting a vote in the same city; ballot boxes were confiscate­d by police. Right, crowds in Edinburgh yesterday showed their support for the Catalan vote
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