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. 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. 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.
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.