Update: Riot Police Clash With Voters As Polls Open In Catalonia’s Independence Referendum

Spanish police have clashed with voters as thousands of people flocked to the polls to vote in the Catalonia independence referendum.

Riot police smashed their way into a polling station where the Catalan president Carles Puigdemon was expected to vote in the disputed referendum.

Civil Guard riot police used a hammer to smash the glass of the front door and lock cutters to force their way into of the voting centre in Sant Julia de Ramis, near the city of Girona.

Scuffles erupted outside between police and people waiting to vote at the polling centre.

Some 60 national police forcibly removed voters and demonstrators from the polling place where Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was scheduled to vote minutes later.

As they dragged away voters who had locked arms in front of the polling station, the assembled crowd chanted “Votarem”—”We will vote.”

There were no immediate reports of injuries and local television footage showed police using batons to disperse the crowds gathered outside the local sports centre.