Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by CoolHand on Tuesday October 03 2017, @12:42PM   Printer-friendly

Police and would-be voters have clashed during a Catalan independence referendum held on Sunday:

Scenes of chaos and violence unfolded in Catalonia as an independence referendum deemed illegal by Madrid devolved quickly on Sunday. As police followed orders from the central government to put a stop to the vote, they fired rubber bullets at unarmed protesters and smashed through the glass at polling places, reports The Associated Press. Three hundred and thirty-seven people were injured, some seriously, according to Catalonia's government spokesman.

Spain's Interior Ministry said a dozen police officers were injured. NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from Barcelona that some people were throwing rocks down at officers from balconies. Yet the violence came from all directions.

"Horrible scenes," Lauren reports. "Police dragging voters out of polling stations, some by the hair."

Scuffles erupted as riot police forcefully removed hundreds of would-be voters from polling places across Barcelona, the Catalan capitol, reports AP. Nevertheless, many people, managed to successfully cast their ballots across the region after waiting in lines hundreds-of-people-deep, including the elderly and families with small children, says Reuters.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that he did not acknowledge the vote and called it "illegal".

Also at NYT, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and BBC:

Catalan emergency officials say 761 people have been injured as police used force to try to block voting in Catalonia's independence referendum.

Update: Catalan referendum: Catalonia has 'won right to statehood'
Spain Vows to Enforce the Law in Rebel Catalonia
Catalonia Leaders Seek to Make Independence Referendum Binding

Previously: Spain Trying to Stop Catalonia Independence Referendum


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by aim on Tuesday October 03 2017, @01:49PM (2 children)

    by aim (6322) on Tuesday October 03 2017, @01:49PM (#576579)

    Also, following the (non-lethal) violence of the spanish (as opposed to catalan) police forces, pretty much the whole of Catalonia is on general strike today and the masses are taking to the streets to protest this very violence. Also, while the EU accepts Madrid's view that the referendum was illegal, they also quite clearly blamed Madrid for the unnecessary violence.

    I sure wonder where things are going to go to in Spain, as the hard stance of Madrid is driving people to the catalan independentists. If sensible minds prevail, I should think it might go towards more autonomy for the regions, but I do fear more violence.

    [For contrast, insert comment on police violence in the USA here]

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Informative=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Informative' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 03 2017, @03:07PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 03 2017, @03:07PM (#576614)

    I was a bit surprised that the Spanish police force was using weapons that are forbidden in the EU. I wonder if they get repercussions based on that sole fact, or that it will be ignored as something that didn't happen and sets a precedent for future police intervention in the EU.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 03 2017, @06:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 03 2017, @06:22PM (#576715)

    they also quite clearly blamed Madrid for the unnecessary violence.

    Uh-huh. Quite clear, as in the press secretary of the vice president of the European Commission put out a press release to urge "all relevant players" to move from confrontation to dialogue. Is that really "clearly", and in response to what they think is "unnecessary violence"? I rather think it shows the moral bankruptcy of the EU.