People hold "estelada" flags, Catalan separatist flags, during a gathering to mark the Calatalonia day "Diada" in central Barcelona September 11, 2014. REUTERS/Albert Gea

BARCELONA Spain (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Catalans packed the streets of Barcelona on Thursday to demand the right to vote on a potential split from Spain, their ambitions boosted by an independence referendum scheduled for next week in Scotland.

Participants dressed in red and yellow, the colors of the Catalan flag, and lined up along two of Barcelona’s main arteries to form a huge “V” for “vote”, visible in aerial footage.

Many wore T-shirts saying “Ara es l‘hora” (“Now is the time”) in the Catalan language, in a festive atmosphere on Catalonia’s national day.

The potential turnout had been an issue of heated public debate in recent weeks. Barcelona police estimated that as many as 1.8 million took part, while a central government spokeswoman put the figure at around half a million.

“We want a say in politics and our future. We’ve won back our sovereignty (by getting independence on the political agenda) and realized the strength we have, if we mobilize, to change things,” said Carme Forcadell, head of the National Catalan Assembly (ANC), one of the organizers of the event.

Catalonia is a wealthy region in Spain’s northeast with its own language and culture. Its long-standing independence movement has grown over the last decade, fueled by Spain’s economic crisis and a refusal by Madrid to meet regional demands.

The Catalan regional government, which like other Spanish regions has a large degree of autonomy, has called a non-binding referendum on Nov. 9 over whether Catalonia should become a separate state.

The Madrid government says the vote is illegal and cannot go ahead. The issue pits Catalonia against the rest of Spain.

“We don’t expect anything good from the Spanish government. All we get is misunderstanding, intolerance, threats and totally anti-democratic attitudes. They’ve always been like that,” said Oscar Sanchez, who is jobless.

“We just want to be treated equally, with respect. Nothing more. We are Catalans, not Spaniards.”

Polls show that 80 percent of Catalans want to vote on independence.

Catalonia’s campaign has drawn momentum from the coming referendum on whether Scotland should split from the United Kingdom, support for which has gained ground recently to make it a close call.

The government in London opposes Scottish independence, but says it will abide by whatever the voters decide.

The price of Spanish government bonds has been falling as edgy investors trim their holdings before Scotland’s vote, where a victory for the nationalists would no doubt fuel Catalonia’s demands. [GVD/EUR]

The fact that Scots have been allowed to vote at all was singled out as the main motivation for taking part in Thursday’s event, organizers and participants said.

“We don’t understand why that is constantly denied. We look up to Scotland,” said Victor Panyella, a 50-year-old professor wearing a yellow T-shirt with a red “V” on it.

“They are so lucky to belong to a country that allows that kind of vote.”

Artur Mas, head of the Catalan regional government, told reporters the rest of Spain needed to take heed.

“I ask Spain’s institutions and especially its government to take good note of the mood on Catalonia’s streets,” he said.

“What is going on today is not a challenge to the state, it is the clamor of a large part of Catalan society.”

An opinion poll for the regional government showed support for an independent state had tripled to 45.2 percent in March 2014 from 13.9 percent in March 2006. Many commentators in Madrid question the way such polls have been carried out.

Spain’s state pollster CIS found this year that around 45 percent of Catalans supported full independence, 20 percent would support a federal state and 23 percent backed regional autonomy.</s>The Wall Street Journal: Catalan officials arrested in Spain ahead of banned independence vote

Early Wednesday morning, Spain’s Civil Guard police forces searched 22 properties, including offices of Catalonia’s regional administration in Barcelona, and arrested an official in charge of the region’s economy, Josep Maria Jové, said spokesman.</s>Image copyright EPA Image caption Protesters arrived at the Unipost offices in Terrassa during the day

Spanish police have discovered a mass of documents directly related to a banned Catalan independence referendum scheduled for 1 October.

Early on Tuesday, the Guardia Civil arrived at offices of Spain's biggest private delivery company, Unipost, in the Catalan city of Terrassa.

Catalan police officers scuffled with pro-secession protesters trying to block the street outside.

Catalan leaders are defying a court order to halt the vote.

They are trying to organise the referendum, despite a series of attempts by the national government to prevent it going ahead.

The Madrid government has been backed up by Spain's Constitutional Court, which suspended the referendum law passed by the Catalan parliament.

Some 7.5 million people live in Spain's well-off north-eastern region. Although opinion polls have been rare, one survey commissioned by the Catalan government in July suggested that 41% of voters backed independence while 49% were opposed.

Stacks of boxes of envelopes found

One of the most important aims for the national authorities is to stop voting cards being sent out in the first place.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Some 200 people prevented a judicial secretary from getting through

As the police raid continued throughout the day in Terrassa, to the north-west of Barcelona, little was said about what had been seized. But it eventually became clear that they had succeeded in finding some of the most significant election material to date.

Among the documents were stacks of boxes containing hundreds of envelopes with the Catalan government's logo. The envelopes were suspected of containing voting cards.

In earlier raids, only posters and other promotional election literature had been found.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Police had tried to negotiate with the protesters

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Scuffles broke out

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The protesters were finally removed

A local judge in Terrassa authorised police to seize the envelopes and open one to assess whether a company official may have been involved in "misappropriating public money" for the 1 October vote.

Up to 200 local people gathered outside the Unipost offices, placing flowers on police vehicles. For more than two hours they stopped a local judiciary official from entering the building. Catalan police eventually intervened to let the official through.

As the standoff went on, the mayors of three small Catalan towns appeared in court on suspicion of helping the vote take place.

Spanish prosecutors have opened an investigation into more than 700 local mayors who have backed the referendum. If voting does go ahead, it will take place in Catalonia's schools and municipal buildings.

The Spanish government has also moved to take control of the region's finances, in an attempt to stop public money being spent on the vote.

A deadline for the Catalan leadership to abandon the vote has run out, with Spain preparing to take over funding of most public services, including the payment of workers' salaries.

However, the vice-president of the Catalan government, Oriol Junqueras, went to the Supreme Court on Tuesday to appeal against the decision. Accusing the national government of irresponsible behaviour, he said he was confident the appeal would in effect suspend Madrid's move.

The Catalan administration had all the resources it needed to meet its obligations, he said.</s>Barcelona have announced the club will "continue to support the will of the majority of the Catalan people" amid growing tensions related to a banned independence vote in the region.

Spain's Guardia Civil police detained 12 senior officials and raided three Catalan regional government offices on Wednesday.

The national government and Spain's constitutional court have both said a referendum on Catalan independence due to take place on October 1 is illegal and should not go ahead.

There was no such action taken by the Spanish government before the last referendum in November 2014, however, this time Catalan leaders have revealed that they will declare independence within 48 hours of the final result if there is a majority 'Yes' vote.

Wednesday's raids came a day after 45,000 envelopes donning logos of the Catalan government were seized in the town of Terrassa, and Barcelona have now issued a statement in support of the democratic rights of the people of Catalonia.

The statement read: "In the wake of the events that have transpired in recent days and, especially today [Wednesday], with regard to the current political situation in Catalonia, FC Barcelona, in remaining faithful to its historic commitment to the defence of the nation, to democracy, to freedom of speech, and to self-determination, condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of these rights.

"Therefore, FC Barcelona publicly expresses its support for all people, entities, and institutions that work to guarantee these rights.

"FC Barcelona, in holding the utmost respect for its diverse body of members, will continue to support the will of the majority of Catalan people, and will do so in a civil, peaceful, and exemplary way."</s>MADRID, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The leader of Spain’s Catalonia region will call off a referendum on independence from Spain planned for Nov. 9 and look for alternative ways to consult Catalans, a key regional political party said on Monday.

Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, a pro-independence party that backs the regional government of Artur Mas said the Catalan leader had told it and other political forces during talks on Monday that he would not organise the referendum as planned.

Mas will instead offer to hold a “consultation of citizens,” an ERC spokesman told Reuters.

The referendum was suspended last month by Spain’s constitutional court, but the regional government of Catalonia had not announced a decision to abandon the planned vote.

A spokesman for Mas declined to comment on the news. The spokesman said Mas would hold a press conference on Tuesday at 0800 GMT.

Catalonia, which accounts for around a fifth of Spain’s economy, has its own language and distinct culture and has long fought for greater autonomy.

But the Spanish government has opposed the move because it contends no one group of Spaniards should make decisions on sovereignty that affect the whole country.

ERC said it would back the plan for new consultations but also called for the Catalan parliament to make an immediate declaration of independence. Mas’ party does not hold an absolute majority in the Catalan parliament and needs the backing of ERC to pass laws.

About half of Catalans want more independence from Spain and a vast majority favour holding a vote on their future, polls show. (Editing by G Crosse and Cynthia Osterman)</s>Pro-independence supporters hold cut-outs of ballot boxes during a protest near Spanish parliament in Madrid September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Andrea Comas

MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia’s regional government said on Tuesday it would temporarily suspend campaigning for a vote on independence from Spain, after Madrid filed a legal block to the referendum.

Spain’s central government argues that the vote, called by Catalan leader Artur Mas for Nov. 9, would breach the country’s rule of law because it would be held in Catalonia alone, rather than in the whole of Spain.

The Constitutional Court suspended the planned referendum on Monday after the government filed its legal appeal, a move Catalan officials now want to try and overturn.

The legal suspension of Catalonia’s plans had been expected for months, although Mas defied Madrid by calling the vote anyway, and is still pushing for ways for it to go ahead.

“In the next few hours we will file our arguments to overturn the suspension of the vote,” Francesc Homs, spokesman for the Catalan government, told reporters on Tuesday. “Although we have withdrawn our campaign, we are not pulling out.”

With official campaigning halted for now, secessionist grassroots movements, which have swelled in recent years in the wealthy northeastern region and set the political agenda there, are likely to take center stage.

A Reuters reporter saw hundreds of people braving driving rain outside Barcelona’s town hall on Tuesday evening to protest at the Constitutional Court ruling and demand the right to vote.

Spanish media said thousands of Catalans had also turned out in towns across the region.

“We just want to vote, yes or no, to know how many people are in favor and how many against,” said Barcelona resident Isabel Redondo, who joined crowds in the city’s central Sant Jaume square.

Protesters in Barcelona drapped Catalan flags and banners with pro-independence motifs over their umbrellas, while some waved giant cardboard ballot boxes as they chanted, “Yes, yes, yes, we will vote.”

Some pro-independence campaigners want politicians to try and hold the non-binding vote in November regardless of its legality.

Hundreds of thousands of people had already filled the streets of Barcelona on Sept. 11, the region’s national day, calling for the right to vote on a potential split from Spain. That fervor was boosted by a Scottish referendum on independence from Britain on Sept.18 - even though it ended in a ‘No’ vote.

With the Catalonia referendum plans now moving into a gray area, some political analysts expect Mas to call early local elections.

A large majority of people in Catalonia, a region with its own widely spoken language and distinct culture, agree that they want to hold a referendum on independence, polls show.

And support for independence has been rising - although not to the point where it is clear that the region would vote to break away from Spain.

Spanish government bond yields edged lower earlier on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court shelved the vote, which had spooked investors fearing the country would lose a region which accounts for a fifth of national economic output.</s>Catalan separatists are using 'Nazi' tactics to intimidate their opponents before an illegal referendum on independence, the Spanish Foreign Minister has claimed.

Alfonso Dastis said separatists are encouraging their supporters to harass their opponents as tensions rise before the the October 1 ballot to leave Spain.

'These people actually are taking some Nazi attitudes because they are putting up posters with the faces of mayors who are resisting their call to participate in this charade,' Mr Dastis said.

He also said 'referendums are a weapon of choice of dictators' referring to the two the late Spanish leader General Francisco Franco conducted before the country returned to democracy after his death in 1975.

Mr Dastis was speaking in an interview in New York, where he is attending a meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

He spoke as the first of hundreds of Catalan mayors summoned to answer questions on why they have backed the banned referendum appeared before the state prosecutor on Tuesday amid cheers and chants from supporters.

Marc Solsona, mayor of the town of Mollerussa, one of nearly 750 mayors facing charges of civil disobedience, abuse of office and misuse of public funds said 'voting is not a crime,' as he left the state prosecutor's office in Barcelona.

Solsona smiled, kissed and gripped hands with dozens of clapping supporters gathered outside the state prosecutor's office as he entered to chants of 'You are not alone'.

'I'm just the mayor and I have to serve my people. I am committed to the people being able to vote on October 1 in accordance with the law passed by the Catalan parliament and what happens to me is not important,' he said.

Pensioner Angel Tena, 63, who had travelled to Barcelona to support the mayor said: 'We consider ourselves privileged to have a mayor who represents the townspeople above any other interests.'

Spain's Guardia Civil police has begun searching several headquarters in Barcelona of Catalonia's regional government, a Catalan government spokesman said.

Separately, police continued their search for ballot boxes, voting papers and campaign leaflets on Wednesday, raiding the offices of Spain's biggest private delivery company Unipost in the Catalan city of Terrassa, Spanish media reported.

After a series of rulings from the Constitutional Court decreed the vote illegal, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is imposing financial curbs on the regional administration and has promised tougher sanctions still if officials refuse to back down.

Although polls show less than half of Catalonia's 5.5 million voters want self-rule, most in the wealthy northeastern region want the chance to vote on the issue.</s>MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s central government took the first step on Monday towards blocking a “consultation of citizens” that the Catalonia region intends to hold next month in the place of a full referendum on independence from Spain that was barred by a court.

The wealthy, northeastern region earlier this month dropped plans to hold the referendum planned for Nov. 9, but said it would still stage a non-binding vote that would be open to anyone who wanted to cast their ballot.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has vowed to block the initiative if it were found to be illegal and on Monday asked the Council of State for its opinion on this new consultation -- the first legal step towards preventing the vote.

In a statement released on its website, the prime minister’s office said Rajoy had asked the Council to issue its ruling as a matter of emergency so that a decision could be made on how to respond at Friday’s cabinet meeting.

Catalonia has its own language and culture. Its long-standing independence movement has grown over the last decade, fueled by Spain’s economic crisis and a refusal by Madrid to meet regional demands for more autonomy.

Spain’s Constitutional Court suspended the independence referendum after the government asked it to declare the vote illegal. It could now take years to make a definitive ruling.</s>MADRID — The first of more than 700 mayors under investigation for supporting a planned independence referendum for Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia have appeared before prosecutors, but refused to testify.

The mayors of the small towns of Oliana, Pont de Suert and Mollerussa were greeted by supporters who shouted "we will vote" after their appearances Tuesday.

Spain's Court has ordered the Oct. 1 referendum suspended and the central government is waging myriad legal battles to halt it, claiming it is illegal.

Spanish police on Tuesday continued raids to seize documents related to the referendum.

Catalonia, which represents a fifth of Spain's 1.1-trillion-euro economy, has some 900 mayors. The mayor of the capital, Barcelona, is not under investigation.

The region's 7.5 million inhabitants are nearly evenly divided over independence.</s>Catalonia's President Artur Mas (C) speaks with President of Catalonia's Parliament Nuria de Gispert (R) and Barcelona's mayor Xavier Tries (L) during the meeting "Pacte Nacional pel Dret a Decidir" (National Pact for the right to decide), formed by politicians and representatives of social and economic organizations at Catalan Parliament in Barcelona November 7, 2014. REUTERS/Albert Gea

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalans are expected to turn out in droves on Sunday to make their strongest show of force to date for breaking away from the rest of Spain in a symbolic independence referendum.

But the chances of a formal vote on Catalan autonomy remain slim - partly because regional authorities are themselves divided over how far to go.

Secessionist-minded politicians helped by cultural organizations and thousands of volunteers organized the informal vote after Spain’s High Court issued an injunction preventing a formal but non-binding referendum.

It is not yet clear if the ballot boxes will be installed in official buildings such as town halls or schools or if they will simply be put in the streets.

Opinion polls show that as many as 80 percent of the 7.5 million people in the northeast region back more autonomy from Spain, with about 50 percent in favor of full independence.

“We hope that Spain will reconsider its position and realize that things can’t stay as they are for long. They will have to give in at some point,” said Joan Parra, a pensioner from Barcelona who favors independence.

The autonomous community of Catalonia accounts for one fifth of Spain’s economic output and its long-standing desire for independence has been fueled by the country’s deep recession of the past few years.

It also took heart from the Scottish independence campaign, although that was eventually crushed in a referendum in September.

But while most Catalans feel they have been unfairly penalized by cuts in national public spending on welfare and other services when the region’s taxes contribute a disproportionate amount to the country’s income, many of them also oppose breaking away from Spain.

“There is only one Spain,” said Jose Jimenez, a Barcelona hospital employee. “They’re trying to push separatism but at the end of the day it is the Spanish government that rules in our country. So I don’t see this vote as a right move.”

Officials from Catalonia’s two main political parties say that a strong turnout of more than 1.5 million people would both add pressure on Catalonia president Artur Mas to call early regional elections and send a strong signal to Madrid that Catalonia means business.

They hope the vote will prompt Spain’s central government to sit down with them and negotiate more tax and political autonomy for the region, or even convince Madrid to accept a full-blown independence referendum in the future.

The center-right Convergencia i Union and the left-wing Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya have used Spain’s wider economic woes and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s fierce opposition to holding any referendum to press their independence agenda.

But once the symbolic vote is over on Sunday, it is unclear whether the two parties will stand united against the Madrid government.

Undermining their thus-far united stance are upcoming regional elections, which both parties have said they will try to use as a proxy to vote on secession by running with a joint electoral platform.

“This will be difficult, especially given that polls have recently confirmed that the secessionist Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) would win a snap poll,” said Teneo Intelligence analyst Antonio Barroso.

“In any case, the resulting regional parliament would be highly fragmented, which would prevent ERC from imposing its agenda, thereby reducing the risk of a unilateral declaration of independence.”

Mas, who heads the CiU party, said on Wednesday that he would ask Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy next week to restart dialogue on a series of economic measures. But ERC leader Oriol Junqueras believes no talks with the central government should take place until Catalonia becomes an independent state.

Even within Mas’ CiU party, there are divisions over whether Catalonia should claim full independence or simply discuss better terms for the region within the Spanish state.

Among the measures that Mas and Rajoy could discuss are an increase in central government spending in the region as well as greater powers for the autonomous community to raise taxes.

Rajoy has even said he would put constitutional reform on the table. Such a move, which would turn Spain into a more a federal state, might better accommodate Catalonia’s long-term national feelings without agreeing to secession.

On Sunday, the vote is likely to take place peacefully.

Carme Forcadell, the president of the Catalan National Assembly, one of the organizations that are organizing the vote, said the voting process in unstoppable.

“I don’t think they will prevent us from voting, either in the streets or in schools. They can’t prevent us from getting altogether at the same time in schools to vote. What would they do ?”

The Spanish state insists it will closely monitor any infringement of the law. But government sources say it is unlikely the regional police, which is controlled by the Catalan government, will stand in the way of people casting their ballots.
Spain's Guardia Civil raid private delivery offices in the Catalan city of Terrassa, searching for and confiscating envelopes suspected of containing voting cards for the upcoming Catalan independence referendum.