Global Geo-political Series: Catalonia overwhelmingly votes for independence despite crackdown and violence by Spanish government

According to official communications by the Catalan government, the overwhelming majority of voters voting in Sunday’s independence referendum has voted for independence. Over two million Catalans or 90.1 percent of those who voted on Sunday voted in favour of independence. Only 7.87 percent of voters voted in favour of staying with Spain. The numbers could have been higher as many voters were thrown out booth across Catalonia by riot police sent by the Madrid government. Police were reportedly taken control of many booths, thrown voters out violently, destroyed ballot boxes in order to stop the referendum. It is being widely reported that around 800 people were injured in the police violence. The police violence reportedly prevented a million people from voting in the referendum.

Catalonia’s regional government has said that the result only reflects those ballots which were not seized by police and the brutality shows the undemocratic nature of the Spanish government which unleashed lethal forces against innocent and unarmed civilians. It also stressed that the outcome shows that Catalonia has earned the right to be a new republic and the regional government’s action will remain consistent with the democratic mandate given by citizen. The regional government of Catalonia has announced that they will be moving to international courts condemning the violence.

After polling station closed in Catalonia, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that there was no independence referendum were held and praised the police for performing their duties given the fact that Spanish constitutional court called the referendum illegal.

Spain's benchmark stock index, IBEX 35 is down 1.2 percent today, trading at 10257.