Just In: Over 460 Catalans Injured In Referendum Clashes With Police
According to latest reports from the Catalan health ministry, 465 people have been injured as Catalans vote in an “illegal” referendum on the region’s independence. The 2 most seriously injured are in hospitals in Barcelona.
The vote was banned by Spain’s constitutional court and millions of ballot papers were confiscated before the vote.
Reports say that 336 voting centres, of more than 2,000, across the region have been closed by police.
There are widespread reports of a brutal police crackdown. Videos show police hitting people in the crowd with batons while voters hold up their hands, police dragging voters from polling stations by their hair, and Spanish police attacking Catalan firefighters.
The action by has been mostly confined to Barcelona, the Catalonian capital with no police presence in the majority of voting stations throughout the region.
Catalan politicians and opposition MPs have called for Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, to resign over the police response. The European Union is yet to make an official comment.
Barcelona’s world famous team Barca took the decision to play their La Liga match today against Las Palmas behind closed doors as a sign of protest, with thousands of fans outside. This was apparently after their request to postpone the match was denied by authorities.
