In Catalonia, dozens of victims due to counteraction to the police referendum

In Catalonia, a referendum on the separation of autonomy is undergoing a confrontation with the police who came from neighboring regions of Spain. At about 13:00 in Moscow, the Department of Health of the region brought the first official information about the victims: about 40 people were injured in skirmishes with the police. Most injuries are easy. Local authorities criticize the police for the use of force: eyewitnesses report that at the desire to vote in Barcelona they shot with rubber bullets, light -school grenades were thrown into the crowd.

Police sees throughout Catalonia materials related to the referendum about independence, which Madrid considers illegal. Law enforcement agencies also close the polling stations. The main gesture that the police protesters are greeted are raised hands, indicating that they have no weapons. Some clench their hands in a fist.

According to the Catalonia Department of Health, in the morning, 38 were provided to 38 victims during the skirmishes. Among them, three people were seriously injured, reports Reuters . Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Spain reported 11 wounded among the police.

The Chairman of the Zeneralitat (Executive power of Catalonia) Carles Puchdemon confirmed the use by the police. He emphasized that the policemen used batons and rubber bullets indifferently. Puchdemon, who managed to vote under the cries of "President, President", called violence on the part of law enforcement officers unjustified: "This is ... irrationally and irresponsibly from the Spanish state and will not put limit to the will of the Catalan people." (Quote for "Interfax" .)

On the site where the head of Catalonia Carles Puchdemon was supposed to vote, the police seized the urns, breaking the doors with sledgehammers. He voted in another place. On the eve of the referendum, the authorities announced that everyone would be able to cast a voice in any of the open areas. The media report that voting ballots can be obtained right on the streets of cities.

Due to the inaction of local colleagues in Catalonia, policemen from other regions of Spain were detained. Law enforcement officers must close educational institutions and remove everything related to plebiscite, primarily ballots and urns.

So the police act inside the plots:

And so - outside:

1) Càrrega de la policia nacial. Disparen Bales de Goma I Cops de Porra. Ferits. (Carrr sardenya). #Catalanreferendum pic.twitter.com/of4ek3JUIC

- àlex tort (@alextortsagues) October 1, 2017

There is only one question in voting ballots: "Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?" And two options for the answer: “yes” and “no”.

Spanish authorities: This is not a referendum

Voting in Catalonia on the issue of leaving Spain is not a referendum, the representative of the kingdom of the government in the region Enrik Milio said on Sunday.

He called on the Catalan authorities to "put an end to this situation," TASS reports. In his opinion, it was precisely the head of the autonomous region of Carles Puchdemon and his office "are responsible for everything that is happening." “To stop this in their hands,” said Milio. “What is happening in Catalonia has never been a referendum.”