Catalan Referendum: Catalans Occupy Polling Stations ahead of Vote
Local Editor
Supporters of an independence referendum in the Catalonia region, in northeastern Spain, opposed by Madrid, occupied would-be polling stations on Friday in a bid to ensure the vote goes ahead, as thousands gathered in Barcelona for the separatist camp's closing campaign.
In one of the biggest crises to hit Spain since democracy was restored after the death of Franco in 1975, the referendum has pitched the wealthy northeastern region against central government and sown divisions among Catalans themselves.
Authorities in Madrid instructed police to ensure no votes are cast in Sunday's vote.
A court on Wednesday ordered police to prevent the use of public buildings "for the preparation and organization" of the referendum.
But as classes ended for the day, small groups of activists, including parents with their children, on Friday peacefully occupied several schools in Barcelona where voting is scheduled to take place.
"I am going to sleep here, with my oldest son who is a student here," Gisela Losa, a mother of three, told AFP at Reina Vionant primary school in Barcelona's fashionable Gracia neighborhood, where pro-independence sentiment runs high.
The occupations appeared to be partly coordinated by a platform of "schools open for the referendum" which distributed a manual via social networks with instruction on how to occupy buildings and guarantee they are available to serve as polling stations.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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