Catalonia goes on strike as calls for ‘declaration of independence’ grow

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Students cheer fire officers as they drive through the crowd during a protest against the violence that marred yesterday’s referendum vote outside the University on October 2, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Catalonia’s government met Monday to discuss plans to declare independence after the results of yesterday’s disputed referendum.

A general strike in Catalonia on Tuesday will likely bring much of the wealthy Spanish region to a standstill, a move bound to ratchet up tensions with the Spanish government following a fractious independence vote at the weekend.

A large number of pro-separatist trade unions, businesses, schools, transport networks and cultural institutions – even the region’s successful soccer team FC Barcelona – are expected to stay closed or run heavily-reduced services on Tuesday in a protest against the Spanish police’s violent crackdown on the vote held Sunday.

Large trade unions have organized the strike, calling on all members of Catalan society to take part following what they called a violation of citizens’ rights and freedoms following the Spanish government’s attempts to thwart the vote.

Spanish riot police reportedly used rubber bullets and batons against members of the public trying to vote on Sunday, as well as storming polling stations to seize ballot boxes. A total of 893 people were injured as a result of the crackdown, according to the Catalan Department for Health.

Spain’s constitutional court has said any independence vote in Catalonia is illegal and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said he did not recognize the vote on Sunday, which saw 90 percent of the 2.26 million people who went to the polls, vote for independence. Voter turnout was low, however, around 42 percent and many people who oppose independence abstained from voting.

Catalan pro-independence figure and leader of the regional government Carles Puigdemont, said on Monday that he saw the vote as binding and plans to take the referendum results to the Catalonian parliament in the next few days.