Facebook Twitter Pinterest Catalan President Carles Puigdemont speaking at the regional government headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. Puigdemont also insisted that Wednesday’s arrest of 14 Catalan officials who were working on the referendum had been politically motivated. The Catalan president has recently been criticised for encouraging people to go and ask their local mayors whether they will cooperate with the referendum, which the Spanish government says is illegal and unconstitutional. Polls show that Catalonia is deeply divided over splitting from Spain and some say Puigdemont’s exhortation has led to anti-independence Catalan mayors being hectored and opposing voices being drowned out. “A lot of people are angry about the democratic abuses that have been committed by the Spanish government,” he said.

Source: The Guardian September 22, 2017 16:30 UTC