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Catalan president: Spanish government in “totalitarian attitude”, Catalonia’s self-government “de facto suspended”
Puigdemont said the independence vote will go ahead as foreseen, even if the Spanish government has vowed to stop it since it deems it to be illegal. The Catalan president said “liberties are being suspended and repressed” by the stance taken by Spanish authorities over the last days, “and especially today”.
Police actions, the president has said, amount to an "assault" that has no "legal sanction" in "violation of the rule of law and of all constitutional guarantees".
This morning, Spain’s military police —the Guardia Civil— has raided the Catalan government’s ministry of Finance, and has arrested several top officials of the ministry. Other ministries have also been raided.
These actions have sparked outrage among thousands of people, who have gathered outside the buildings.
The two main trade unions in Catalonia (CCOO and UGT) have called upon the Spanish government to "stop arrests and police actions against Catalan institutions".
A printing house has also been raided in the town of Bigues i Riells, where the Spanish police says it has seized 9 million ballots ready to be used on 1 October.