Spanish riot police disrupt Catalan independence vote with rubber bullets

Voting in the Catalan independence referendum was immediately disrupted by riot police this morning.
Guardia Civil in full riot gear prevented many from casting a ballot.
Hundreds of people have been injured in the clashes.
Ballot boxes were seized and polling stations smashed and shuttered.
Most Catalans got to vote, but not all.

The Spanish government order its Guardia Civil to shut down polling stations early this morning in the Catalonia region of Spain. Some of the scenes are brutal.

Spanish police attacking Ca... @ Catalans for Yes

Multiple videos on Twitter purported to show the police firing rubber bullets at protesters on the street.

Footage of Spanish police f... @ Gissur Simonarson

Catalans were trying to stage a referendum on whether their region of the Spanish peninsula, which includes Barcelona, should become an independent country. But the Spanish government regards the vote as an illegal act and sent riot police to seize ballot boxes and prevent people from voting.

Spain’s Constitutional Court previously ruled "that a regional government cannot call a referendum, because Spain’s constitution does not recognize the right to self-determination and establishes that sovereignty resides with Spanish citizens collectively."

According to Europe Elects, a Twitter account that follows elections in the EU, 90% of ballot stations remained open.

Spain (Catalonia): Indy Ref... @ Europe Elects

The scenes from Spain this morning were spectacular and disturbing, as police prevented people from voting on the orders of the central government in Madrid. 337 people have been injured in the clashes, according to Sky News.

Sorry but this looks like f... @ Gissur Simonarson

Spain's elected central government is against holding the referendum, which it has declared illegal.

This is their 'democracy'. ... @ Albert Royo Marin#emo#

Police were out in force.

This is their democracy, th... @ Cristian Roqueta

Catalan voters tried to force their way in to stations to vote, and police used force to block them:

Wondering if anyone really ... @ Marco Pracucci #emo##emo#

Lots of tweets came from pro-independence activists:

#BREAKING Spain anti-riot p... @ David d'Enterria *X

Voting was scheduled to start at 8.30 a.m. but police shut down polls almost immediately:

Not #Turkey its #Spain: #Ri... @ H D

One of the most dramatic images was this woman who sustained a cut to the head as police moved in:

Shame on you Spain! We won'... @ Hector Linares

Here is the wider shot:

She only wanted to vote #1o... @ Guillem Hern#emo#ndez

There was a massive turnout of early morning voters at some stations — and a huge police presence blocking them:

#BREAKING Spain anti-riot p... @ David d'Enterria *X

Sky News had cameras in the region and got some great shots of the action.

.@Stone_SkyNews is in Barce... @ Sky News

Spanish riot police disrupt Catalan independence vote with rubber bullets

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!