Incandescent situation in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil Guard this morning carried out a blitz in the Catalan government offices, arresting 14 people, 10 of whom were senior officials including the right arm of Vice President Oriol Junqueras, Josep Maria Jovè.
Among those arrested, many of whom are central to the organization of the vote, also the director of the department of attention to citizens of the government Jordi Graell and the president of the Telecommunications Center, Jordi Puignero.
The operation is still ongoing. The move, which constitutes a turning point in Madrid's strategy to prevent the October 1 independence referendum, provoked spontaneous protest by thousands of people who took to the streets in defense of Catalan institutions, blocking some streets in central Barcelona .
President Carles Puigdemont immediately called an urgent meeting of his government. “They are attacking the institutions of this country, therefore the citizens. We will not allow it” Junqueras reacted on twitter. Spanish premier Mariano Rajoy said that Madrid's response to the challenge of Catalan independence "cannot be different from the one decided". In the hall of the Spanish Congress of Deputies Rajoy was harshly opposed by the leader of the left-wing Catalan republic Gabriel Rufian: "Take your dirty hands away from Catalonia" he ordered. The blitz against Catalan institutions also provoked a harsh reaction from Podemos: "It's a shame" said the secretary Pablo Iglesias, "in Spain there are again political prisoners".
The mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, elected with Podemos, denounced "a democratic scandal". In addition, searches by the Spanish police and the seizure of electoral material for the October 1 referendum continue. According to the public television station Tve, the Spanish police yesterday confiscated 45 summonses sent for the establishment of polling stations from the offices of a private mail company. Meanwhile, Spanish finance minister Cristobal Montoro confirmed the blockade of finances by the Barcelona government decided on Friday by the Madrid government.
Barcelona also expressed solidarity: "We publicly support the people, entities and institutions that work to guarantee these rights, and we will continue to support the will of the Catalan people, in a civil and exemplary manner," reads the club's statement. .
