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| Hundreds injured as Spanish riot police try to stop referendum voters in Catalonia | Hundreds injured as Spanish riot police try to stop referendum voters in Catalonia |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| More than 400 people have been injured in clashes between riot police and voters during the Catalonia independence referendum, Catalan officials have said. | |
| Spanish police used batons and rubber bullets to remove people from polling stations across the region as thousands turned out to vote on independence. | Spanish police used batons and rubber bullets to remove people from polling stations across the region as thousands turned out to vote on independence. |
| Clashes were seen in Barcelona, the region's capital, and other districts while police seized ballot boxes and smashed their way in to polling centres. | Clashes were seen in Barcelona, the region's capital, and other districts while police seized ballot boxes and smashed their way in to polling centres. |
| Around 38 people were originally reported as being injured but this has now risen to 'around 460' hurt in the violence. | |
| Spain's Interior Ministry said 11 police officers were injured while 'fulfilling judicial orders' to prevent the referendum from taking place. | |
| The ministry tweeted that the injured included nine National Police officers and two Civil Guard agents. | The ministry tweeted that the injured included nine National Police officers and two Civil Guard agents. |
| The regional leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, has accused Spanish authorities of using “unjustified, disproportionate and irresponsible” violence in its crackdown on the region's independence referendum. | The regional leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, has accused Spanish authorities of using “unjustified, disproportionate and irresponsible” violence in its crackdown on the region's independence referendum. |
| However Spanish deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, praised the actions of Spanish police in preventing the independence referendum from going ahead | However Spanish deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, praised the actions of Spanish police in preventing the independence referendum from going ahead |
| She slammed the “absolute irresponsibility” of the Catalan regional government in holding the vote had been compensated for by the professionalism of the Spanish security forces, she told reporters. | She slammed the “absolute irresponsibility” of the Catalan regional government in holding the vote had been compensated for by the professionalism of the Spanish security forces, she told reporters. |
| “They have complied with the orders of justice. They have acted with professionalism and in a proportionate way. They have always sought to protect rights and liberties,” she said. | “They have complied with the orders of justice. They have acted with professionalism and in a proportionate way. They have always sought to protect rights and liberties,” she said. |
| More follows… | More follows… |