Catalonia referendum: 90% voted for independence, say officials – as it happened

Another video of police brutality has emerged. This time, Spanish police have been recorded attacking Catalan firefighters.

Human Rights Watch has released a statement calling on Spanish authorities to respect their citizens’ right to peaceful assembly and refrain from using excessive force.

FC Barcelona has announced their La Liga clash with Las Palmas will be played behind closed doors.

In a statement, the Catalan club said: “FC Barcelona condemn the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today in order to prevent its citizens exercising their democratic rights to free expression.

“Given the exceptional nature of events, the board of directors have decided that the FC Barcelona first team game against Las Palmas will be played behind closed doors following the Professional Football League’s refusal to postpone the game.”

The Catalan Football Federation had already suspended all matches due to referendum, but FC Barcelona are not under their jurisdiction.

Earlier today, Las Palmas announced a Spanish flag had been sewn on to their kit for the game to show support for “the unity of Spain”.

The fiery Twitter posts from the Spanish interior ministry continue.

Exposing children to this type of situation and using them during the day is another sign of intolerable unreason

Details on voter turnout in the independence referendum are sparse at the moment.

Voting has been slow because the electronic census used to count the ballot is down, and people are voting on paper, according to Spanish media.

Stephen Burgen reports that police repression has been far from systematic. He says people from all over Catalonia are sending messages saying they are voting where there is no police presence.

Radio Catalonia journalist Mar Riera Sola has posted footage of police charging at a crowd while entering the village of Sant Iscle de Vallalta, 30 miles north-east of Barcelona.

The Guardian’s Sam Jones has spoken to Jesús López Rodríguez, a 51-year-old administrator who lives opposite the Ramon Llull school, who witnessed this morning’s violent police raid on the polling station.

We were in the street from 5am. Hundreds of us were waiting to vote peacefully. The ballot boxes came at about 7.30am. Around eight o’clock, we saw seven national police vans. Half an hour later, the police came in riot gear with shields and helmets. They told us that the Catalan high court had ordered them to take the ballot boxes and they told us that we needed to disperse. We said, ‘No! No! No!’. Then about 20 police officers charged us. It was short – about two minutes – and we stayed together. I heard the chief officer telling them to retreat. But they just stopped and stayed there for about 15 minutes.

Then eight or nine national vans came and they cordoned off the surrounding streets. We were pushing back and forth until they started to arrest people. They dragged people out violently. We stood our ground but they dragged people away, kicking them and throwing them to the ground … Lots more police came - maybe 100 or more. When they saw they couldn’t get into the main building, they jumped over the fence and went in. They came out with ballot boxes 10 minutes later and they broke down the doors [of the school] with axes. They left with the ballot boxes.

There were a lot of police but we stayed there trying to vote. We looked around for other places to vote and then we came back. Half an hour later, we saw lots of police vans on Gran Vía. Then, at about 10.25am, they started to shoot rubber bullets – at least 30 or 40. People were running away, scared and totally defenceless. I ran towards the shots but my wife pulled me back. I was down there for a lot of hours this morning and I didn’t hear one insult [towards the police] … I feel really angry about it but I also hope that people in Europe and around the world see what’s happening in Catalonia.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has called on the Spanish government to stop the violence in Catalonia.

Stephen Burgen has spoken to Martí Pont, 19, who was among the occupants of the Escola Ramon Llull school when Spanish police arrived in force. Video footage shows officers dragging voters out by their hair and throwing people down stairs at the school.

“I was there last night and there were a couple of dozen people but when I went back at 5.30am there were maybe 300. The Mossos came, saw how many people there were, and left. A couple of hours later the ballot boxes arrived and we all started applauding. It was raining heavily. Then seven vanloads of Policia Nacional arrived. We all gathered around the front door and kept calm. There were some elderly people but no kids. Then 15 police in body armour and five more wearing balaclavas arrived. They started pushing us with their shields and throwing us aside but there were too many of us. Then more and more vanloads arrived from all sides.

They started pushing through and pulling people out. Then they broke in through another door and took away the ballot boxes and voting papers. Right then people didn’t know what to do because there were police in front and behind. They started dragging us out, often by the throat. Lots of women were dragged out by the hair. Then we saw them put the ballot boxes in a Seat, an ordinary car. We sat down in front of and behind their vans so they couldn’t leave. They took out their truncheons and began separating us. We went down carrer Marina, blocking them street by street. They started hitting us with truncheons but didn’t use their guns. We met up with another group and the police warned journalists to go away. They ran off and the police started firing rubber bullets. This was at the junction of Diputació and Sardenya. Everyone who could, fled, but others got hit, in the back and the knee. Everyone went off to find somewhere else to vote.

1 Oct 201708.41 EDT

'What's happening is a mini revolution': eyewitness accounts

Sarah Marsh

Readers have been sharing their eyewitness accounts with us –you can share yours with us here.

‘It is frightening. We are living in a world where human rights are being ignored’

What is happening at the moment is a mini revolution – the Catalans
want a referendum and right now we are waiting for Guardias to arrive as that is what has been happening elsewhere. Old people have been attacked ... We are doing what we want to do which is just vote.

It has not been violent where we are but what we are hearing and
seeing [is worrying]. Last night, I was outside the square eating sausages we cooked on the BBQ and talking about what tomorrow means and now we are talking about what Monday means and Tuesday. It is frightening. We are living in a world where human rights are being ignored. I think Catalonia deserves to be listened to.

If the rest of the world does not put its arms up and prevent the Spanish government from attacking peaceful demonstrators, then that is worrying.

I have got children with me at the moment. They know what is going on and they can feel this tension – it’s just not nice. You bring children up to be peaceful and seeing the establishment carry old ladies off. It would be great if everything news-wise shows what is really happenings.
Fiona Williamson, 44, from Barcelona

‘This is history. People say they will not move if there is violence’

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Sitting outside the polling station in Barcelona Nord, we’re here on holiday but it is fascinating to watch all these people voting. They are here to stand and be visible, we’ve talked to some people. Other stations around here are closed so more people are coming here to vote. The local Catalan police are patrolling but there is no aggravation towards them, they are not stopping the process.

Earlier today, I saw seven police vans drive by, the cars beeped their horns in protest. Catalonian flags are hanging in windows, there is graffiti for voting yes. There are no posters for no. I talked to a girl and asked if she knew anyone voting no. She said she knew some people from university, but there was no argument between them. They just wanted to vote. People clap when they leave the station. A man handed his umbrella to another pushing an elderly lady in a wheelchair. The atmosphere is friendly and momentous. People are happy to talk and share with us. This is history. They say they will not move if there is violence. It’s too important.
Caitríona O’Brien and Malachy McDermott, Irish holidaymakers in Barcelona