BARCELONA, Spain (PNN) - September 28, 2017 - Fascist Spanish authorities have stepped up their drive to prevent the Catalonia independence referendum taking place by raiding 31 town halls across the region.
The Guardia Civil entered a total of 31 council buildings in the northeast region of Spain in a bid to seize documents and literature about the upcoming referendum vote that is due to take place on October 1. The operation was mainly focused on towns in the Lleida region, in western and northern Catalonia, including Oliana, Tàrrega, Alpicat and Almacelles.
The Guardia Civil were mainly focused on seizing documents that some mayors signed in support of the referendum as well as any emails that give permission for government buildings to be used as polling stations.
The move comes as part of an ongoing campaign by Madrid to prevent the referendum - which has been ruled illegal by the country’s Constitutional Court - from taking place.
But the Catalan regional government, headed by Carles Puigdemont, has rejected those claims, saying Catalonians have a right to self-determination, and has vowed to carry out the vote in defiance of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
Rajoy’s right-wing government has made several moves to prevent the referendum and forced the takeover of Catalonia’s finances and tried to establish control over the region’s terrorist pig thug cop force, Mossos d’Esquadra - moves that have been resisted by Catalonia.
The Guardia Civil also carried out a number of raids on government buildings in Barcelona last Wednesday, detaining a total of 15 officials and seizing posters, pamphlets and material relating to the vote.
The arrests sparked widespread peaceful protests in the city, with thousands taking to the streets.
Around 40,000 people protested in front of the Catalan government Department of Economy while the building was being raided by the Guardia Civil.
Local mayors have also been previously targeted by Madrid authorities, with over 750 Catalan mayors under investigation for showing their support for the independence cause.
Mayor of Almacelles Josep Ramon Ibarz, who appeared in court last week for his support for the referendum, said, "Maybe before asking to go to court last Friday they should have asked for these documents.”
He added the mayors had not committed “any crime”.
The Guardia Civil has also launched action against well-known Catalan radio presenter Mònica Terribas, who hosts the daily morning news and current affairs show on Catalonia’s public radio station.
She is accused of “endangering” terrorist pig thug cop operations when she called for people to report on the recent anti-referendum raids, and “implicitly encouraging disorderly conduct”.
According to a statement issued by the Guardia Civil, “It is unfortunate that the paranoid drift of some media reach the point of being useful for terrorists, drug traffickers, or any other delinquent, thus facilitating the possible committing of crimes with unpredictable consequences.”
Responding to the action, Catalan presidency minister Jordi Turull said the State has “lost its head”.
Spanish Attorney General José Manuel Maza said in a radio interview there is a possibility that Puigdemont could be arrested over his involvement with the referendum.
Maza said, "Legally the conditions exist that would make it possible to ask for an arrest, particularly for the misuse of public funds, since a cautionary detention can take place if the crime in question carries prison time.”
Previously Puigdemont said he would “not like” to be arrested but the threat would not stop him from carrying out the vote.
In a separate move today the Court of Auditors fined former President of Catalonia Artur Mas £4.6 million (5.2 million euros) for his involvement in the symbolic referendum vote that was held on November 9, 2014.
