Spanish, Catalonian police face off at polling stations

CAIRO – 1 October 2017: Catalonian police officers challenged Spanish security forces over violence incited against Catalonian voters outside polling stations, aiming to prevent ballot on the splitting of Catalonia from Spain, Catalan news reported on its official Twitter account on Sunday.

Catalan police challenge Spanish Guardia Civil officers over violence against voters #CatalanReferendum https://t.co/UdfLinUIiF

— Catalan News (@catalannews) October 1, 2017

Son como los neonazis, solo reparten cuando van en mayoría. pic.twitter.com/Pz3w6pYKXC

— Bernat Castro #Òc (@Berlustinho) October 1, 2017

Catalonia’s regional government

held an independence referendum

on October 1. Many Catalans are still angry about the Spanish constitutional court’s decision seven years ago to annul or reinterpret parts of the 2006 Catalan Statute of Autonomy, which would have afforded the region greater independence.

On Saturday, the Spanish police closed polling stations and the Catalan communications center in attempt to prevent a referendum in Catalonia which has divided Spain, according to Reuters.