Spain's Guardia Civil enter local city government buildings in Catalonia for the first time

Spain's Guardia Civil officers entered several local city halls on Monday morning looking for referendum documents. Officers delivered court order to 31 local councils asking for information about preparations for referendum. They went to towns in the Lleida region, in western and northern Catalonia, including Oliana, Tàrrega, Alpicat and Almacelles.

This is the first time that Spanish agents have entered city government buildings since the Spanish prosecutor ordered an investigation into the more than 750 Catalan mayors that have publicly showed their support for the independence referendum.

Spanish officers have asked city government employees for documents such as the letters that some mayors signed in support of the referendum or the emails in which the city governments have offered local buildings as polling stations.

"Maybe before asking to go to court last Friday they should have asked for these documents," said the mayor of Almacelles, Josep Ramon Ibarz, who appeared in court last week for his support for the referendum. Ibarz insisted that mayors are not committing "any crime".