Catalan separatists were determined Saturday to press ahead with an independence referendum banned by Madrid, having occupied dozens of schools designated as polling stations to stop police from closing them down.

&quot;In these hugely intense and hugely emotional moments, we sense that what we once thought was only a dream is within reach,&quot; Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told a crowd of cheering supporters on Friday evening, as he closed his campaign for Sunday`s vote.

Over in the town of L`Hospitalet de Llobregat, though, a different scene played out in a large conference hall.

There, some 2,000 people who oppose separating from Spain rallied at a meeting called by Ciudadanos, Catalonia`s main opposition party.

The vote has stoked passions in the wealthy northeastern region, pitting Catalan leaders against the central government in one of the biggest crises to hit Spain since democracy was restored after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

It has also sown divisions among Catalans themselves, with the region deeply split on independence, even if a large majority want to be allowed to settle the matter in a legal vote.

&quot;There is nothing that justifies violating so basic a right as the right to vote,&quot; Omar Sanchis, a 29-year-old drama student, said from behind the railings of the Collaso i Gil school in Barcelona, which he and others had occupied.

Authorities in Madrid have instructed police to ensure no votes are cast in a referendum that the courts have ruled unconstitutional.

For days, they have been seizing electoral items such as ballot papers while prosecutors have ordered the closure of websites linked to the vote and the detention of key members of the team organising the referendum.

A court on Wednesday ordered police to prevent the use of public buildings &quot;for the preparation and organisation&quot; of the referendum.But those for the vote have mobilised.

On Friday, tractors paraded through Barcelona, some decked with the &quot;Estelada&quot;, the separatists` flag of red-and-yellow stripes with a white star on a blue chevron.

They and firefighters have vowed to protect polling stations.

As classes ended for the day, small groups of activists, including parents with their children, decided to peacefully occupy several schools in Barcelona where voting is scheduled to take place.

The occupations appeared to be partly coordinated by a platform of &quot;schools open for the referendum.&quot;

By midnight, it was still unclear exactly how many schools were occupied, but organisers said dozens had been taken over in Barcelona.

There were believed to be a lot more in the city and around the region, and the occupations were expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Over at the anti-independence rally, though, Dolores Molero, a 53-year-old secretary from Tarragona, a city further south, said the situation was &quot;a dead end&quot;.

&quot;They want to destroy the state, Spain and Catalonia,&quot; she said after a meeting that saw people wave Spanish and EU flags, as well as the &quot;Senyera&quot; -- the official Catalan flag of plain red-and-yellow stripes.Madrid has repeatedly warned those who help stage the referendum that they face repercussions.

On Friday, Spain`s education ministry said in a statement that head teachers in Catalonia &quot;were not exempt from liability&quot; if they cooperated.

But Jordi Sanchez, the president of the Catalan National Assembly, an influential pro-independence organisation, told AFP the court order said public spaces could not be used for the referendum on Sunday &quot;but it did not say anything about leisure activities today and Saturday&quot;.

&quot;We have proposed that citizens organise activities, that they put in place a lot of activities to give life to these spaces which on Sunday should host the referendum.&quot;

Barcelona`s Joan Brossa high school, for instance, advertised a series of activities for Friday and Saturday, including film screenings, football matches and Zumba dance fitness classes.

Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said there would be &quot;2,315 polling stations all over the region&quot; for the vote.

But Catalonia`s regional police force, the Mossos d`Esquadra, have warned of the risk of &quot;disruption of public order&quot; if they try to prevent people from casting ballots.

Madrid has sent thousands of extra police officers from other forces to Catalonia -- which accounts for one fifth of Spain`s economy -- to help stop the referendum.

Molero said she was worried about what would happen Sunday.

&quot;We`ll have to be cautious. I won`t go out,&quot; she said.

They have occupied dozens of schools designated as polling stations to stop police from closing them down

Catalan separatists were determined Saturday to press ahead with an independence referendum banned by Madrid, having occupied dozens of schools designated as polling stations to stop police from closing them down. "In these hugely intense and hugely emotional moments, we sense that what we once thought was only a dream is within reach," Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told a crowd of cheering supporters on Friday evening, as he closed his campaign for Sunday`s vote. Over in the town of L`Hospitalet de Llobregat, though, a different scene played out in a large conference hall. There, some 2,000 people who oppose separating from Spain rallied at a meeting called by Ciudadanos, Catalonia`s main opposition party. The vote has stoked passions in the wealthy northeastern region, pitting Catalan leaders against the central government in one of the biggest crises to hit Spain since democracy was restored after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. It has also sown divisions among Catalans themselves, with the region deeply split on independence, even if a large majority want to be allowed to settle the matter in a legal vote. "There is nothing that justifies violating so basic a right as the right to vote," Omar Sanchis, a 29-year-old drama student, said from behind the railings of the Collaso i Gil school in Barcelona, which he and others had occupied. Authorities in Madrid have instructed police to ensure no votes are cast in a referendum that the courts have ruled unconstitutional. For days, they have been seizing electoral items such as ballot papers while prosecutors have ordered the closure of websites linked to the vote and the detention of key members of the team organising the referendum. A court on Wednesday ordered police to prevent the use of public buildings "for the preparation and organisation" of the referendum.But those for the vote have mobilised. On Friday, tractors paraded through Barcelona, some decked with the "Estelada", the separatists` flag of red-and-yellow stripes with a white star on a blue chevron. They and firefighters have vowed to protect polling stations. As classes ended for the day, small groups of activists, including parents with their children, decided to peacefully occupy several schools in Barcelona where voting is scheduled to take place. The occupations appeared to be partly coordinated by a platform of "schools open for the referendum." By midnight, it was still unclear exactly how many schools were occupied, but organisers said dozens had been taken over in Barcelona. There were believed to be a lot more in the city and around the region, and the occupations were expected to continue throughout the weekend. Over at the anti-independence rally, though, Dolores Molero, a 53-year-old secretary from Tarragona, a city further south, said the situation was "a dead end". "They want to destroy the state, Spain and Catalonia," she said after a meeting that saw people wave Spanish and EU flags, as well as the "Senyera" -- the official Catalan flag of plain red-and-yellow stripes.Madrid has repeatedly warned those who help stage the referendum that they face repercussions. On Friday, Spain`s education ministry said in a statement that head teachers in Catalonia "were not exempt from liability" if they cooperated. But Jordi Sanchez, the president of the Catalan National Assembly, an influential pro-independence organisation, told AFP the court order said public spaces could not be used for the referendum on Sunday "but it did not say anything about leisure activities today and Saturday". "We have proposed that citizens organise activities, that they put in place a lot of activities to give life to these spaces which on Sunday should host the referendum." Barcelona`s Joan Brossa high school, for instance, advertised a series of activities for Friday and Saturday, including film screenings, football matches and Zumba dance fitness classes. Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull said there would be "2,315 polling stations all over the region" for the vote. But Catalonia`s regional police force, the Mossos d`Esquadra, have warned of the risk of "disruption of public order" if they try to prevent people from casting ballots. Madrid has sent thousands of extra police officers from other forces to Catalonia -- which accounts for one fifth of Spain`s economy -- to help stop the referendum. Molero said she was worried about what would happen Sunday. "We`ll have to be cautious. I won`t go out," she said.

Spain: Catalan separatists determined to hold Sunday independence vote

Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials on Wednesday to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona&#39;s tourist district as well as in several Catalan cities, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and chanting &quot;Occupying forces out&quot; and &quot;Where is Europe?&quot;.

&quot;The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia&#39;s government and has established emergency rule,&quot; Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia&#39;s government and has established emergency rule,&#39; Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia's government and has established emergency rule,' Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&quot;We condemn and reject the anti-democratic and totalitarian actions of the Spanish state,&quot; he said, adding Catalans should turn out in force to vote in the Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal.

State police arrested Catalonia&#39;s junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove on Wednesday in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targeted several regional government departments.

A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. Police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. The Catalan government sources could not confirm the other arrests.

In several Barcelona districts, people banged on balconies railings and dumpsters while passing cars hooted noisily.

Among the protesters outside the government office in Barcelona, was Carlos, a 47-year-old taxi driver.

&quot;We&#39;re here so they know they can&#39;t do whatever they want,&quot; he said, as protesters bore banners reading &quot;Democracy&quot; and &quot;Vote to be free&quot;.

The FC Barcelona soccer club said in a statement: &quot;FC Barcelona, in remaining faithful to its historic commitment to the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination, condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of these rights.&quot;

Police efforts to stop the referendum have intensified in recent days as the wealthy northeastern region shows no signs of halting it.

Acting under court orders, police have raided printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies in a search for campaign literature, instruction manuals for manning voting stations and ballot boxes.

The Civil Guard, a national police force, on Wednesday seized 10 million ballot papers, polling station displays as well as documents and forms to run the vote, including a list of voters under the headline &quot;2017 Catalonia self-determination referendum&quot;.

Stock market falls

It had on Tuesday seized more than 45,000 envelopes packed in cardboard boxes that the Catalan government was ready to send to notify people about the referendum, while the first of hundreds of Catalan mayors appeared before the state prosecutor after they said they would back the referendum.

Spain&#39;s finance ministry has taken over the region&#39;s finances to prevent the use of public money to organise the vote.

But the central government must tread a fine line in enforcing the law in the region without seeming heavy-handed. Polls show a minority of Catalans, albeit more than 40 percent, support independence although a majority want a referendum on the issue.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday the operations in Catalonia were the result of legal rulings and were to ensure the rule of law.

He later called on Catalan leaders to cancel the vote.

&quot;Don&#39;t go ahead, you don&#39;t have any legitimacy to do it. Go back to the law and democracy (...) This referendum is a chimera,&quot; he said in a televised speech. Any action that broke the law would be met with a proportionate response, he added.

The Constitutional Court has suspended the vote after the central government challenged its legality. Spain&#39;s central government says the referendum goes against the 1978 constitution which states Spain is indivisible.

Under Article 155 of the constitution, Madrid has the power to suspend the regional government&#39;s authority to rule. It has yet to exercise this option as it seeks to block the vote through the courts.

Although markets have so far shrugged off the increasing tension, Spain&#39;s top stock index underperformed regional European stock peers on Wednesday.

The Catalan president said the action meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration

Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials on Wednesday to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the centre of Barcelona's tourist district as well as in several Catalan cities, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and chanting "Occupying forces out" and "Where is Europe?". "The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia's government and has established emergency rule," Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said in a televised address. The Spanish state has by all rights intervened in Catalonia's 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 Catalans should turn out in force to vote in the Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain that Madrid has declared illegal. State police arrested Catalonia's junior economy minister Josep Maria Jove on Wednesday in their first raid of government offices in the region, Catalan government sources said. The raid targeted several regional government departments. A dozen high-ranking local officials were arrested, La Vanguardia newspaper said. Police confirmed they were carrying out raids connected with the banned referendum, but did not give details. The Catalan government sources could not confirm the other arrests. In several Barcelona districts, people banged on balconies railings and dumpsters while passing cars hooted noisily. Among the protesters outside the government office in Barcelona, was Carlos, a 47-year-old taxi driver. "We're here so they know they can't do whatever they want," he said, as protesters bore banners reading "Democracy" and "Vote to be free". The FC Barcelona soccer club said in a statement: "FC Barcelona, in remaining faithful to its historic commitment to the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination, condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of these rights." Police efforts to stop the referendum have intensified in recent days as the wealthy northeastern region shows no signs of halting it. Acting under court orders, police have raided printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies in a search for campaign literature, instruction manuals for manning voting stations and ballot boxes. The Civil Guard, a national police force, on Wednesday seized 10 million ballot papers, polling station displays as well as documents and forms to run the vote, including a list of voters under the headline "2017 Catalonia self-determination referendum". Stock market falls It had on Tuesday seized more than 45,000 envelopes packed in cardboard boxes that the Catalan government was ready to send to notify people about the referendum, while the first of hundreds of Catalan mayors appeared before the state prosecutor after they said they would back the referendum. Spain's finance ministry has taken over the region's finances to prevent the use of public money to organise the vote. But the central government must tread a fine line in enforcing the law in the region without seeming heavy-handed. Polls show a minority of Catalans, albeit more than 40 percent, support independence although a majority want a referendum on the issue. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Wednesday the operations in Catalonia were the result of legal rulings and were to ensure the rule of law. He later called on Catalan leaders to cancel the vote. "Don't go ahead, you don't have any legitimacy to do it. Go back to the law and democracy (...) This referendum is a chimera," he said in a televised speech. Any action that broke the law would be met with a proportionate response, he added. The Constitutional Court has suspended the vote after the central government challenged its legality. Spain's central government says the referendum goes against the 1978 constitution which states Spain is indivisible. Under Article 155 of the constitution, Madrid has the power to suspend the regional government's authority to rule. It has yet to exercise this option as it seeks to block the vote through the courts. Although markets have so far shrugged off the increasing tension, Spain's top stock index underperformed regional European stock peers on Wednesday.

Spanish police raid Catalan government to halt independence referendum

Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled a ban on bullfighting in the region of Catalonia, in what is likely to exacerbate tensions between animal activists and fans of the centuries-old tradition.

In a statement, the court argued that bullfighting was classified as part of Spain&#39;s heritage, and therefore a decision whether to ban it or not pertained to the central government and not to semi-autonomous regions like Catalonia.

It said it had declared the ban &quot;unconstitutional and void.&quot;

Catalonia&#39;s regional parliament voted in 2010 to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition demanding the debate.

It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition, although the Canary Islands abolished bullfighting in 1991.

Critics at the time argued that more than an animal rights issue, the ban was also politically-motivated in a region with its own language, a fierce sense of identity and a desire to seek independence from Spain.

But the tradition has drawn increasing controversy and protests around Spain in recent years, with demonstrators turning up and taking to Twitter to denounce what they feel is a brutal, anachronistic event.

(AFP)

The court said the sport was part of Spain's heritage

Spain's Constitutional Court on Thursday cancelled a ban on bullfighting in the region of Catalonia, in what is likely to exacerbate tensions between animal activists and fans of the centuries-old tradition. In a statement, the court argued that bullfighting was classified as part of Spain's heritage, and therefore a decision whether to ban it or not pertained to the central government and not to semi-autonomous regions like Catalonia. It said it had declared the ban "unconstitutional and void." Catalonia's regional parliament voted in 2010 to ban bullfighting from January 1, 2012 after animal rights groups managed to garner 180,000 signatures for a petition demanding the debate. It was the first region in mainland Spain to ban the tradition, although the Canary Islands abolished bullfighting in 1991. Critics at the time argued that more than an animal rights issue, the ban was also politically-motivated in a region with its own language, a fierce sense of identity and a desire to seek independence from Spain. But the tradition has drawn increasing controversy and protests around Spain in recent years, with demonstrators turning up and taking to Twitter to denounce what they feel is a brutal, anachronistic event. (AFP)

Spain top court cancels bullfighting ban in Catalonia

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Catalonia demanding freedom from Spain on Sunday. 
 
The mass rally comes as the pro-independence assembly vows to go ahead with plans of forming a new state in 2017, Reuters reported. 
 
The march took place in five cities, including Barcelona where 540,000 people participated, police said. 
 
The protests took place on their national day &quot; La Daida&quot; when Spain&#39;s King Philip V conquered Barcelona in 1714.&nbsp; 
 
Catalans shouted &quot;Ready&quot; in Catalan, proclaiming they were ready to be free.&nbsp; 
 
Head of the Catalan National Assembly, which organised the protest, Jordi Sanchez told the protestors, &quot;This is the moment to stand united for the &#39;yes&#39; to the Catalan Republic.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are impatient,&quot; he added. 
 
However, Spain&#39;s government is opposing any move towards secession, creating obstacles through constitutional laws.&nbsp; 
 
In 2015, the pro-separatist party won a majority of seats in the regional assembly and have now started laying the groundwork for an independent state.&nbsp; 
 
Anti-independence campaigners told Reuters that the secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of votes last year, which will weaken the mandate for separation. 
 
A poll conducted in January showed 48 per cent were in favour of Catalonia becoming independent, while 42 per cent opposed it. 
 
According to an AFP report, the call for separation strengthened after the 2012 economic crisis when many Catalans resented paying higher taxes to the Spanish government to aid the poorer regions. 
 
Carles Puigdemont, head of the regional Catalonia government told journalists assembled at the rally, that in coming months &quot;critical decisions&quot; will be taken on Catalonia&#39;s future. 
 
Analysts say&nbsp;Puigdemont will win the confidence vote in the Catalan assembly, which will take place on September 8. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The mass rally took place to project their readiness in forming a new state in 2017

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Catalonia demanding freedom from Spain on Sunday. The mass rally comes as the pro-independence assembly vows to go ahead with plans of forming a new state in 2017, Reuters reported. The march took place in five cities, including Barcelona where 540,000 people participated, police said. The protests took place on their national day " La Daida" when Spain's King Philip V conquered Barcelona in 1714. Catalans shouted "Ready" in Catalan, proclaiming they were ready to be free. Head of the Catalan National Assembly, which organised the protest, Jordi Sanchez told the protestors, "This is the moment to stand united for the 'yes' to the Catalan Republic." "We are impatient," he added. However, Spain's government is opposing any move towards secession, creating obstacles through constitutional laws. In 2015, the pro-separatist party won a majority of seats in the regional assembly and have now started laying the groundwork for an independent state. Anti-independence campaigners told Reuters that the secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of votes last year, which will weaken the mandate for separation. A poll conducted in January showed 48 per cent were in favour of Catalonia becoming independent, while 42 per cent opposed it. According to an AFP report, the call for separation strengthened after the 2012 economic crisis when many Catalans resented paying higher taxes to the Spanish government to aid the poorer regions. Carles Puigdemont, head of the regional Catalonia government told journalists assembled at the rally, that in coming months "critical decisions" will be taken on Catalonia's future. Analysts say Puigdemont will win the confidence vote in the Catalan assembly, which will take place on September 8. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Catalans march on streets to demand break from Spain

Catalan lawmakers defied Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court today and approved a text calling on the region to push ahead with its bid to forge a separate state with or without Madrid&#39;s approval. 
 
The text outlines the steps Catalonia -- a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain -- needs to take to defend its right to auto-determination. 
 
It argues the &quot;only way possible&quot; for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region &quot;disconnects&quot; from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. 
 
Pro-secession parties hold a slim majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. 
 
Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court warned last week that approval of the text would be illegal and the central government has consistently dismissed any secession plans as &quot;nonsense&quot;. 
 
Ines Arrimadas, the leader of the main opposition centrist party Ciudadanos, called the approval of the text a &quot;strike against democracy&quot;. 
 
Xavier Garcia Albiol, the head of the Catalan branch of the conservative Popular Party which governs at the national level, warned that disobeying Spanish institutions &quot;would have a cost&quot;. 
 
Pro-independence parties in Catalonia won an absolute majority in the regional parliament for the first time in a September 2015 election which they billed as a proxy referendum on independence from Spain. 
 
The main separatist &quot;Together for Yes&quot; alliance and the smaller, anti-capitalist CUP party won a combined 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament. 
 
But their share of the vote was just 48 per cent, giving their opponents a powerful argument against secession. 
 
Spain&#39;s Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonia&#39;s independence drive. 
 
It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014 as well as a resolution passed by Catalonia&#39;s parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. 
 
Many in Catalonia, which boasts its own language and customs, want autonomy from Madrid. 
 
Spain&#39;s recent economic downturn exacerbated the situation, leaving many resenting the amount of taxes they pay to the central government in Madrid to subsidise poorer Spanish regions. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

'The only way possible for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region disconnects from the Spanish state'

Catalan lawmakers defied Spain's Constitutional Court today and approved a text calling on the region to push ahead with its bid to forge a separate state with or without Madrid's approval. The text outlines the steps Catalonia -- a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain -- needs to take to defend its right to auto-determination. It argues the "only way possible" for Catalans to exercise their right to decide on their future is if the region "disconnects" from the Spanish state and disobeys Spanish institutions. Pro-secession parties hold a slim majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament and the text was approved with 72 votes in favour. Spain's Constitutional Court warned last week that approval of the text would be illegal and the central government has consistently dismissed any secession plans as "nonsense". Ines Arrimadas, the leader of the main opposition centrist party Ciudadanos, called the approval of the text a "strike against democracy". Xavier Garcia Albiol, the head of the Catalan branch of the conservative Popular Party which governs at the national level, warned that disobeying Spanish institutions "would have a cost". Pro-independence parties in Catalonia won an absolute majority in the regional parliament for the first time in a September 2015 election which they billed as a proxy referendum on independence from Spain. The main separatist "Together for Yes" alliance and the smaller, anti-capitalist CUP party won a combined 72 seats in the 135-seat parliament. But their share of the vote was just 48 per cent, giving their opponents a powerful argument against secession. Spain's Constitutional Court has already taken measures against Catalonia's independence drive. It suspended an independence referendum called by the Catalan government in 2014 as well as a resolution passed by Catalonia's parliament in November declaring the start of a secession process. Many in Catalonia, which boasts its own language and customs, want autonomy from Madrid. Spain's recent economic downturn exacerbated the situation, leaving many resenting the amount of taxes they pay to the central government in Madrid to subsidise poorer Spanish regions. (AFP)

Catalan secession drive: Lawmakers defy court, push formation of separate state

catalonia

Catalonia, News on Catalonia, stories on Catalonia, articles on Catalonia, Catalonia stories at Wion, Catalonia news, Catalonia latest news