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A8 world news
Monday 2 october 2017

Violence mars Catalonia independence vote, hundreds hurt

By ARITZ PARRA police.
JOSEPH WILSON Catalans favoring a break
Associated Press with Spain have long want-
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — ed more than the limited
Catalonia’s defiant bid to autonomy they now enjoy,
hold a referendum on inde- arguing that they contrib-
pendence from Spain de- ute far more than they re-
generated into ugly scenes ceive from the central gov-
of mayhem on Sunday, ernment, which controls
with more than 800 peo- key areas including taxes
ple injured as riot police and infrastructure. The po-
attacked peaceful pro- lice aggression on Sunday
testers and unarmed civil- was likely to only fuel the
ians gathered to cast their passion for independence,
ballots in a show of force and the main separatist
the regional president de- group urged the regional
cried as “another shameful government to declare in-
page” in the Spanish gov- dependence after the vio-
ernment’s history with the lent crackdown.
region. “Today the Spanish state
Speaking in Barcelona af- wrote another shame-
ter polls closed, Catalan ful page in its history with
president Carles Puigde- Catalonia,” Puigdemont
mont said he would keep Spanish riot police swings a club against would-be voters near a school assigned to be a polling said, adding that he would
his pledge to declare in- station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Spanish riot police appeal to the European
dependence unilaterally if have forcefully removed a few hundred would-be voters from several polling stations in Barcelona. Union to look into alleged
the “yes” side wins the dis- (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) human rights violations dur-
puted vote, adding: Cata- be heard. Spanish Foreign Minister — chaotic as it was — as ing the vote.
lonia has “won the right to Police were acting on a Alfonso Dastis said the vio- a basis for declaring the By day’s end, Catalan
become an independent judge’s orders to stop the lence, while “unfortunate” northeastern region inde- health services said 844 ci-
state.” referendum, which the and “unpleasant” was pendent, a provocative vilians had been treated in
Hundreds of police armed Spanish government had “proportionate.” move that would threaten hospitals for injuries, includ-
with truncheons and rub- declared illegal and un- “If people insist in disre- Spain with the possible loss ing two in serious condition
ber bullets were sent in constitutional — and Prime garding the law and doing of one of its most prosper- and another person who
from other regions to con- Minister Mariano Rajoy said something that has been ous regions, including the was being treated for an
fiscate ballots and stop the going forward with the vote consistently declared ille- popular coastal city of Bar- eye injury that fit the pro-
voting, and amateur video only served to sow divisions. gal and unconstitutional, celona, the regional capi- file of having been hit by
showed some officers drag- In a televised address after law enforcement officers tal. It was also unclear how a rubber bullet. Thirty-three
ging people out of polling the majority of polls closed need to uphold the law,” many of the region’s 5.3 police officers were also in-
stations by the hair, throw- Sunday, he thanked the Dastis told The Associated million eligible voters were jured.
ing some down stairs, kick- Spanish police, saying they Press in an interview. able to cast ballots, how At the Pau Claris School in
ing them and pushing them had acted with “firmness No one knows precisely their votes would be count- Barcelona, amateur foot-
to the ground. Anguished, and serenity” — comments what will happen if Cata- ed and how many votes age filmed by one voter
frightened screams could sure to anger Catalans. lan officials use the vote had been confiscated by showed police roughing
up unarmed people stand-
ing in their way. Amateur
Poles protest president-drafted judicial changes video from other locations
showed similar tactics, with
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — the anti-government Com- overhauling Poland’s le- but he described them as people seen being hit,
Thousands of Poles are en- mittee for the Defense of gal system. They say the an attempt to address Eu- kicked and thrown around
gaging in renewed protests Democracy were held Sun- revisions he introduced on ropean Union concerns by police, including elder-
of proposed changes to day in front of courthouses Sept. 25 didn’t improve the that the governing party is ly people with their dogs,
the judiciary in a sign of dis- in Warsaw and many other ruling conservative party’s trying to put Poland’s courts young girls and regular
satisfaction with amended Polish cities. drafts, which also spurred under its control. citizens of all stripes. Many
legislation submitted by The protesters expressed large protests. Critics say neither set of tried to shield themselves
President Andrzej Duda. dissatisfaction with the Duda’s proposals strength- proposals address the judi- from being smacked on
The protests organized by president’s proposals for ened the president’s role, ciary’s true problems.q the head. q