Puigdemont: “On Oct 1 we are called to defend democracy from a repressive and intimidating regime”

The October 1 referendum on Catalan independence is going ahead. The Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, steadfast on the self-determination vote on Wednesday despite the Spanish police arresting 13 people –including high-ranking officials of his executive- and raiding 22 government buildings in a big operation to stop the referendum. "On October 1 we are called to defend democracy from a repressive and intimidating regime," he said in a televised speech following the events in Barcelona.

"We condemn and reject the totalitarian and anti-democratic attitude of the Spanish State," Puigdemont said. The Catalan president said that the actions of the Spanish government amount to the "suspension" of the Catalan self-government.

"The Spanish government has de facto suspended the government of Catalonia and has declared, de facto, a state of exception," he regretted. "We denounce the illegitimate suspension and intervention of the Catalan government coming from a Spanish executive that does not respect the fundamental principles of democracy," he added.

"They've crossed the red line," said Puigdemont, describing how police agents have even raided government buildings, personal houses of government officials or even newsrooms. "We give all our support to all the people arrested," he said.