Catalonia referendum goes ahead despite Spanish government opposition, police

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – As the people of Catalonia headed to the polls Sunday morning in a referendum to determine whether to secede from Spain or not, Spanish riot police began forcefully removing polling stations in Barcelona.

Television footage shows protesters in Barcelona confronting Spanish police in front of polling stations.

Supporters of independence for Catalonia were seen in the streets shouting “We will vote,” in defiance of the Spanish Constitutional Court’s decision. 

Throughout the day, pictures and videos of bloodied, injured voters spread online. 

The Spanish government has deemed the referendum “illegitimate” and has called for its cancellation.

Local police forces were given orders to stop the voting, but not provoke unrest, which was not the scene witnessed in Barcelona where voters were pushed aside, dragged, and polling stations stripped of election material.

Despite this, voters headed to the polls on Sunday to cast their ballot in the controversial referendum.

In the early hours of the vote, Spanish riot police had smashed their way into a polling station in Catalonia where the regional leader, President Carles Puigdemont, was expected to show up to vote in the independence referendum. He was eventually able to vote hours later.

After casting his ballot, Puigdemont was met by a crowd of supporters, including one who offered him a rose.

Puigdemont garnered a fair amount of fame in the Kurdistan Region after expressing his support last week for the historic Sep. 25 referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region on Twitter, noting he had personally called the Region’s President, Masoud Barzani, to offer his congratulations.

Catalan President @KRLS congratulated President @masoud_barzani on #KurdistanReferendum in a phone call today.#TwitterKurds #Catalonia pic.twitter.com/JoJobR2NRY

— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) September 26, 2017

Much like Catalonia, the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum was deemed “illegitimate” and “illegal” by the Iraqi Parliament.

Nevertheless, the vote went ahead peacefully with no major disruptions the day-of.

In the aftermath of the poll, Iraq imposed a flight ban over the Kurdistan Region, while neighbors Iran and Turkey threatened sanctions, some of which have already been implemented. 

Ahead of the referendum, Spanish police arrested Catalan officials, seized campaign leaflets, closed down 2,300 schools outfitted as polling stations, and raided the Catalan government’s communications center. 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany