Troops fire rubber bullets to prevent Catalan independence vote, injure at least 465

The Catalonian referendum on independence from Spain went ahead today, using the backup ballot boxes the opposition had secretly procured in anticipation of the brutal crackdown on the independence movement by the central government in Madrid, which included snatching elected officials and seizing ballot boxes.

Catalonians go to the polls today in the face of great impediments. The .cat top-level domain was seized, Google was ordered to remove the app that told people where their polling stations were, and those polling stations were surrounded by thousands of armed national guard troops who beat people attempting to vote, eventually firing into the crowds with rubber bullets. The Catalan government says it has verified 465 injuries at this time.

Catalan government: ‘465 injured by Spanish police violence’ during referendum – live
[Patrick Greenfield/The Guardian]