Catalans say yes for independence vote marred by chaos

Catalan President Carles Puidgemont has declared that Catalonia has won the legitimate right of becoming an independent state following Sunday’s landslide win for the yes side in a controversial referendum marred by violence. About 800 people were injured as police used rubber bullets on unarmed civilians who were trying to vote.

Carles has vowed to keep to his pledge of unilaterally declaring Independence should the outcome favor the yes side. He, however, condemned the Spanish Government for the brutality orchestrated by the police on voters, threatening to appeal to the EU to investigate the alleged human rights abuses by the Spanish police and other security agencies during the vote.

A landslide vote

On Monday, the spokesman for the Catalan government Jordi Turull said more than 90 percent of those who voted chose the yes side in support of independence for Catalonia. Out of the 5.3 million registered voters in the region 2.26 million voted yes to independence and about 8 percent voted no and rejected independence for Catalonia, he said. Turull told reporters that about 15,000 votes were still in the counting process and that those votes seized by the police were not included.

Video footage showed riot police deployed from other regions confiscating ballots and preventing people from voting. The police were heavily armed with rubber bullets and truncheons. The video footage showed people being kicked and pushed to the ground and officers dragging people by the hair out of polling centers.

It is unclear what will happen should the Catalan leaders follow through their pledge by declaring independence using Sunday’s controversial vote as a basis. The move could ignite provocation that could possibly lead to a breakaway of one of the most prosperous regions of Spain.

Spanish government’s opposition

On Sunday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in a televised addressed praised the police for their professionalism, saying they acted within the orders of a judge to halt the referendum.

The Spanish government had earlier declared the independence referendum illegal and unconstitutional, but Catalan leaders insisted on going ahead with the vote.

Catalans, who opted for independence, argues that they contributed so much to the central government but receives little. After the close of the vote on Sunday, Catalan health services announced that 844 people were treated in hospitals for various degrees of injuries following the violent clashes with riot police trying to stop the vote. Meanwhile, separatist groups have demanded that the regional government should immediately declare independence following the violent clashes.