Catalonia's leader has said voters have "gained the right" to an independent state following a referendum rejected by Madrid. Some 90 percent voted in favor of secession, but turnout was low in a vote marred by violence.
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Catalans vote amid crackdown
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Speaking hours after Sunday's disputed referendum concluded, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said Catalonia had "gained the right to have an independent state with the status of a republic."
He added that the results of Sunday's referendum would be forwarded "in the coming days" to the Catalan parliament.
Monday's front page from La Vanguardia, one of the main newspapers in Catalonia, reports Puigdemont will push for a unilateral declaration of independence in parliament in the coming days.
But Madrid maintains the ballot is invalid, rejecting it as illegal on constitutional grounds. The central government had ordered police to stop the referendum from going forward.
Spanish police clashed with protesters in Catalonia during the banned referendum on the region's independence. Despite Madrid's efforts to shut down voting, most of the polling stations reportedly remained open.
Image: Getty Images/D. Ramos
Police 'forced' to use violence
Security forces used batons and fired rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Many were injured. "We were forced to do what we did not wish to do," said Spanish government delegate to Catalonia, Enric Millo. "Puigdemont and his team are solely responsible" for the violence, he added.
Image: Getty Images/D. Ramos
Comparing Rajoy to Franco
Supporters of an independent Catalonia have long accused the central government of denying the will of the people. At this Barcelona rally ahead of the Sunday vote, one of the protesters holds up a picture of late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco kissing the current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Image: Reuters/J. Medina
Face to face
Anti-independence protesters also took to the streets of Barcelona to show their support for a united Spain. In this photo from Saturday, one of them is shouting at a member of the Catalan regional police force, called Mosso d'Esquadra.
Image: Reuters/S. Vera
Stocking up on ballot boxes
Ahead of the referendum, activists distributed voting material and paraphernalia despite the government ban. The Catalan authorities in Barcelona said that the vote would be legally binding.
Image: Reuters/A. Gea
Viva Espana
Rajoy's government has rejected the independence referendum as unconstitutional and pledged to shut down voting. Many opponents of Catalan separatism gathered in Madrid on Sunday, chanting "Viva Espana" and "Catalonia is Spain."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Soriano
Waiting for daybreak
Spanish authorities deployed thousands of extra police to the region. They received orders to prevent voting and seize ballot boxes. Security forces patrolled the polling stations in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/X. Bonilla
Keeping polls open
Activists decided to camp out at the polling stations in case police tried to shut the venues down.
Image: Reuters/J. Nazca
Separatist leader manages to vote
Reports of violence started coming in early on Sunday. Scuffles broke out near the city of Girona, where Catalan regional leader Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his ballot. The police raided the polling station, forcing Puigdemont to vote at a different location.
Image: Reuters/Handout Catalan Government
Barcelona raid
Pro-independence protesters tried to prevent the police from confiscating ballots and ballot boxes. Catalan officials say that, despite Madrid's efforts, 73 percent of about 6,000 polling stations were open on Sunday.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Barrena
Give them flowers
Pro-independence activists were instructed to "practice passive resistance" while attempting to delay the security forces from disrupting the vote. The movement supplied their protesters with red carnations to give to the officers. However, police reported they were also pelted with stones.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Gene
Battling for ballots
On Sunday morning, Catalan officials said people could also use ballots they printed at home, and vote at any open polling station if their designated booth was closed.
Image: Reuters/Y. Herman
'Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state?'
While a June poll indicated that a majority of Catalans would be in favor of remaining within Spain, it also showed that independence supporters were far more likely to vote on a referendum. Madrid's crackdown is sure to fan the flames of the independence movement.
Thirty-three police officers were also hurt during the ballot.
After voting concluded, a spokesman for the Catalan government, Jordi Turull, said about 2.26 million votes had been counted. That represents a turnout of roughly 42 percent of Catalonia's voters - with over 2 million voting in favor of secession.
Turull also said that authorities estimate a total of 770,000 votes were lost because of disruptions amid the voting.
"Four hundred schools [used as polling stations] have been sealed, and many votes have been directly stolen," he claimed.
Tension run high during Catalan referendum
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Frustrations with Rajoy
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau demanded that Spain's conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy resign after Spanish riot police were seen beating and kicking people as part of the efforts to shut down the vote.
Colau told broadcaster TV3, "Rajoy has been a coward, hiding behind the prosecutors and courts. Today he crossed all the red lines with the police actions against normal people, old people, families who were defending their fundamental rights."
In Madrid, government opponents earlier gathered in solidarity with Catalonia, calling for Rajoy to stand down. Shouts of "Madrid is with the people of Catalonia" were heard.
But Spain's deputy prime minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, defended the police response earlier on Sunday, saying officers had acted with "firmness and proportionality" in response to an unauthorized ballot.
The police union for the regional Catalan Mossos d'Esquadro SICME said it deeply regretted the injuries as a result of police intervention.
Over 40 unions and Catalan associations called for a region-wide strike for Tuesday, citing "the grave violation of rights and freedoms."