Spanish police step up raids to halt Catalan referendum

 Madrid/Barcelona, Sept 20 

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona’s tourist district, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and shouting “Occupying forces out” and “Where is Europe?”.

“The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in the Catalan government and has established emergency rule,” Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address. “We condemn and reject the anti-democratic and totalitarian actions of the Spanish state,” he said, adding that Catalans should still turn out in force to vote in the October 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal.

State police arrested Catalonia’s junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targetted several regional government departments. 

A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. The police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. — Reuters

Madrid/Barcelona, Sept 20 

The Spanish police today raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona’s tourist district, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and shouting “Occupying forces out” and “Where is Europe?”.

“The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in the Catalan government and has established emergency rule,” Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address. “We condemn and reject the anti-democratic and totalitarian actions of the Spanish state,” he said, adding that Catalans should still turn out in force to vote in the October 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal.

State police arrested Catalonia’s junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targetted several regional government departments. 

A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. The police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. — Reuters