As Catalans go to the polls to vote in an independence referendum, the fears of many independence activists have been confirmed as Spanish police unleash violence on voters.
Spanish police have been videoed firing rubber bullets and unarmed civilians and a further video emerged of a Spanish police officer in a riot uniform slamming a young women to the ground.
La poli surt disparant pic.twitter.com/4RyFWkaq3X
— Jordi Graupera (@JordiGraupera) October 1, 2017
Els polis han de fugir disparant per obrir-se cami. Disparen al cos. Gent ferida. pic.twitter.com/Vts4EAE4wN
— Jordi Graupera (@JordiGraupera) October 1, 2017
Braços trencats i cops de tot tipus de la policia a l'Escola Verd de Girona. La mostra, aqt vÃdeo que em passen. #1oCatRà dio pic.twitter.com/R0iT9MclXV
— Sergi Roca Puntà (@sergirocap) October 1, 2017
LATEST: 38 injured as result of police action vs activists at #CatalanReferendum – emergency https://t.co/69fplSacc4 pic.twitter.com/Yjp7dodC3K
— RT (@RT_com) October 1, 2017
The leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont has stated,
“The unjustified, disproportionate and irresponsible violence of the Spanish state today has not only failed to stop Catalans’ desire to vote … but has helped to clarify all the doubts we had to resolve today”.
Catalonia’s emergency services have treated 38 people who have been injured as a result of the repression by Spanish police
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017
Minister @raulromeva: "We urge Europe's institutions to condemn the violence that European citizens are suffering"
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017
The Catalan government has directly blamed Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy for being responsible for the acts of police brutality.
Spokesman @jorditurull: "The police interference responds to the 'Go get them' attitude. The person responsible is @marianorajoy"
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017
Repetició de la jugada des de primera fila. Aixà m'han disparat pic.twitter.com/3AHqW92jAe
— David MartÃnez (@davidmartineztv) October 1, 2017
Minister @raulromeva: "We urge Europe's institutions to condemn the violence that European citizens are suffering"
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017
Spokesman @jorditurull: "337 people have been injured by the Spanish state police violence. We ask them to file a complaint with @mossos"
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017
Wikileaks founder and anti-war activist Julian Assange has condemned the violence. He previously stated that the Spanish regime’s attempts to shut down websites and social media accounts from Catalonia amounted to a cyber-war.
Is it the Spanish government's strategy to produce images of violent attacks on voters to help suppress the vote? It sure looks like it.
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) October 1, 2017
Today in Catalonia we see that even voting is speech. To stop the vote, the Spanish state is aggressively trying to censor votes from being communicated. Free expression is the fundamental enabling right. From it all other rights emerge. Respect it. Defend it.
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) October 1, 2017
It is hard to imagine Rajoy surviving the images of his heavy handed tactics in Barcelona today–short of moving Spain into populist authoritarianism.
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) October 1, 2017
As further images of Spanish brutality against Catalans emerge, it is not difficult to see why the Rajoy regime may indeed fall as a result of the protests. Objectively, people will not be convinced to remain part of Spain, if Spanish authorities savage their bodies in the streets for expressing a different democratic opinion.
This is the real Spanish state–and why Catalonia wants to leave it. pic.twitter.com/ppCpS3uSxQ
— Defend Assange Campaign (@DefendAssange) October 1, 2017
— OscarRG (@oscarrgcat) October 1, 2017
The vote continues through the day, in spite of the violent attempts by Spain to stop the election from peacefully proceeding.
The Spanish govt has shown us their arguments: repression & violence. We will continue to show ours: ballot boxes, votes, democracy & peace. pic.twitter.com/upxb4p87q8
— Raül Romeva i Rueda (@raulromeva) October 1, 2017
— OscarRG (@oscarrgcat) October 1, 2017
Further video emerged of Spanish police destroy a polling station as Catalans tried to vote.
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