In October 2017, Catalonia held a vote, asking its residents if they want the region to become an independent state from the rest of Spain, in the form of a republic.
The nation’s constitutional court declared the referendum illegal but they went ahead with a vote anyway, prompting Madrid to launch a crackdown.
The Spanish government confiscated millions of ballot slips, imposed direct rule of the region, and sought the arrest of members of the Catalan government, including its leader, Carles Puigdemont — who has now fled to Brussels.
Violent clashes erupted between voters and security forces. 844 people were injured.
YouTube:
Catalonia: Lluis Llach – L’Estaca * segur que tomba…* – independence referendum 2017
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, called for
“independent and impartial investigation into all acts of violence”
around the independence referendum, and asked the Spanish government to allow UN human rights experts to visit.
“Police responses must at all times be proportionate and necessary,”
he said in a statement.
“I firmly believe that the current situation should be resolved through political dialogue, with full respect for democratic freedoms,”
he added.
ROMA (EUROPE, ITALY) – CAPITAL OF TWO STATES
or
