Police seal off designated polling stations on eve of Catalan referendum

A Spanish government spokesperson has said police have sealed off 1,300 of 2,315 schools in Catalonia which had been designated as polling stations on the eve of a banned independence referendum which Madrid is attempting to thwart.


An official government source said 163 schools which have been earmarked as voting centres have been occupied by families.

People supporting the referendum have camped out overnight in schools in an effort to prevent an order by the head of the Catalan regional police to evacuate and close polling stations by 6am tomorrow, before the voting is due to open at 9am.

Spanish police have also occupied the Catalan government's communications hub on the eve of a banned independence referendum which Madrid is attempting to thwart, regional authorities have said.
  [rte.ie]
 30/9/17
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