Puigdemont condemns Spain's “unjustified, irrational and irresponsible” use of violence to stop referendum

The Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, condemned on Sunday Spain's "unjustified, irrational and irresponsible" use of violence to stop the independence referendum. Puigdemont warned that "police brutality will forever shame those who are justifying it."

The Catalan president’s polling station was raided by Spanish police on Sunday morning, with officers forcing themselves in, breaking doors down and searching for ballot boxes. Puigdemont managed to vote in a different location but he later went to his polling station, where he criticized the Spanish government crackdown of the vote.

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, urged Spanish president Mariano Rajoy to resign immediately following the riot police intervention. Colau went to vote in a polling station in Barcelona. 

At least 38 people have been injured during police operations, according to official figures. Images show Spanish riot police confronting citizens in polling stations and violently removing ballots and ballot boxes. 

The Spanish delegate in Catalonia, Enric Millo, blamed the Catalan government for the police operation. "We have been forced to do what we did not want to do", he said. The Catalan executive has asked for his resignation.