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Spain's King Felipe VI has said Catalan authorities deliberately bent the law with "irresponsible conduct" in Sunday's vote and the Spanish state needs to ensure constitutional order and the rule of law in Catalonia.
Key points
- King condemns Catalan independence vote as 'irresponsible'
- Spain's Constitutional Court ruled Sunday's vote illegal
- Workers stage strikes across Catalan region
Delivering an address to the nation by television, the king said the bid by authorities in the north-eastern region to push ahead with independence has "undermined coexistence" in Catalonia.
His comments came after Catalan's regional government held a vote on independence on Sunday that Madrid had ruled illegal.
"Today, Catalan society is fractured and confronted," King Felipe said.
He referred to the political crisis as, "very serious moments for our democratic life", and said the state needed to ensure Spain's constitutional order and the correct functioning of Catalan institutions and rule of law.
He said the Spanish crown was strongly committed to the Spanish constitution and to democracy and underlined his commitment as king "to the unity and permanence of Spain".
Catalonia, Spain's richest region, has its own language and culture and a political movement for secession that has strengthened in recent years.
About 900 people were injured on polling day when police fired rubber bullets and charged at crowds with truncheons to disrupt the vote.
Those who participated voted overwhelmingly for independence, but opinion polls conducted before the vote suggested only a minority of about 40 per cent of residents in the region back independence.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said the referendum was valid and its result must be implemented.
Spain's conservative government said it would respond with "all necessary measures" to counter the Catalan defiance, and was holding talks with national opposition leaders.
A multi-partisan consensus on the response could include suspending the region's self-government.
Protests continue amid strikes
Tens of thousands of people continued to take to the streets of Catalonia and road traffic, public transport and business were disrupted in protest against Sunday's violent crackdown.
Metro stations shut down in Barcelona, pickets blocked dozens of roads and state workers walked out in response to a call for a general strike by pro-independence groups and trade unions.
FC Barcelona, the city's football club, joined the strike, saying it would close for the day and none of its teams would train.
On financial markets, Spain's 10-year borrowing costs hit their highest level in nearly three months.
To the north of Barcelona, a line of tractors moved down a road blocked to traffic, accompanied by protesters chanting "Independence" and, "The streets will always be ours".
Crowds gathered outside the local headquarters of Spain's ruling People's Party and the Spanish national police headquarters in Barcelona, whistling and waving the red-and-yellow regional flag.
Barcelona tourist attractions such as museums and architect Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church, were shut.
Carmaker SEAT, owned by Germany's Volkswagen, was forced to halt production on one of three production lines at its plant because the road closures interrupted supply of a part, but operations later resumed.
Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, said the regional government had lost respect for the democratic process and were showing a flagrant disregard for the law.
"I've seen how President [Carles] Puigdemont has flooded the streets with his followers to stop people obeying the law and to make them disrespect justice," she said.
"We are here to defend the rights and liberties of all Spaniards that have been trampled upon by the regional government."
Protestors frustrated at police action
"I'm here today because I tried to vote on Sunday," Emma Diaz said.
"I actually succeeded against police brutality and I'm here to defend the rights which I feel have been violated.
"I want them to apologise and I do want them out because I think what they did was absolutely unacceptable and they violated the human rights of freedom of expression and physical integrity and human dignity.
"I saw people inside my polling station hiding the ballot boxes and children because the police were trying to come in with violence."
"We are demonstrating against the police and how they acted last Sunday," another protestor, Jan Camps, said.
"We think that it is unacceptable in a democracy in Catalonia in the European Union and we hope the demonstration today and the demonstration we did in September will help the world to see what's happening here.
"To see it's wrong what they are doing and that we will fight till the end for freedom."
"I'm here because I'm against the Spanish police punishing people for voting," a protestor called Josef said.
"This is a peaceful protest. We don't want any kind of violence. We only want to say we don't agree with the acts of last Sunday from the Spanish police. We are not against the Catalan police.
"It is time to say enough. It's not only about independence, it's about the respect of human rights.
"I'm Catalan, as all my family, but I do not agree on the division of Spain," local woman Maria Mercedes Arujo said.
"I'm very upset because I live here, and every day there are a lot of rows.
"I see that Spain will be split, and I love the national police and also the Catalan police. I love them both, and all the people who are here and are pro-independence I love them.
"I do want them to do well, they are wonderful, but they have been badly instructed."
AP/Reuters
Topics: world-politics, referendums, unrest-conflict-and-war, spain
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