Secession vote leaves Catalonia in fragile position

Regional leaders in Catalonia held a secession referendum last Sunday that the Spanish government condemned as illegal. Spain’s Constitutional Court suspended a session of parliament that was slated to analyze the results. Voters largely supported secession from Spain, but turnout was low. Police in riot gear took to the streets in a crackdown on the referendum. Catalan officials have not officially ratified the results, a step that begins a two-day timer to declare independence. Leaders are split on whether to do so. From online and wire reports

Pau Barrena / AFP/Getty Images A man wrapped in a Catalan pro-independence “Estelada” flag puts flowers on the gate of Barcelona’s Ramon Llull School, which was used as a polling station and was one of those targeted by riot police during last Sunday’s independence referendum.