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Spain's government moves to halt independence vote for Catalonia, sparking protests
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Sep 22, 2017 10:42pm |
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| Category | News |
| Author | Lauren Frayer |
| Media | Newspaper - Los Angeles Times |
| News Date | Wednesday, September 20, 2017 06:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | After years of largely ignoring Catalan separatism, Spain’s central government moved decisively Wednesday to halt preparations for an independence referendum in its Catalonia region, where memories of repression under the Franco dictatorship linger.
The Spanish Civil Guard, a national paramilitary force, raided more than 20 regional government offices and institutions in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, detaining at least 14 separatist officials for their roles in organizing an Oct. 1 secession vote that Spain considers unconstitutional. Those held include aides to Catalonia’s vice president.
Civil Guards also raided a warehouse in a rural industrial park north of Barcelona, seizing nearly 10 million ballot papers, as well as referendum posters and voter registry logs.
Protests erupted in the city in response, with crowds filling Las Ramblas, the main pedestrian thoroughfare that is home to one of the government offices where politicians were detained in early-morning raids.
“We will vote!” several thousand people chanted, blocking side streets.
Several hundred protesters also gathered late Wednesday in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square, in solidarity with Catalans. |
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