SPAIN'S government has seized control of Catalunya's military police, the Mossos d'Esquadra 'to maintain order and prevent criminal activity' between now and the planned 'illegal' independence referendum on October 1.
Catalunya's interior minister Joaquim Forn says Mossos chief Josep Lluís Trapero, speaking on behalf of the force, says it is 'not prepared to accept' the State's 'coordination' and are considering a 'legal response' to the latest drastic action by president Mariano Rajoy.
Forn's counterpart in national government, Juan Ignacio Zoido, wrote to Catalunya on Friday to say National Police and Guardia Civil reinforcements were going to be sent in to 'support the Mossos' if any town halls decided to go ahead with the voting a week on Sunday.
Forn said on Twitter that the Mossos were 'not prepared to stop exercising all duties within their jurisdiction'.
So far, over 125 politicians, unions, activists and residents in 15 of Spain's 17 autonomously-governed regions have signed a manifesto stating: “The ability to decide is a democratic right. We support the Catalunya referendum.”
They include several left-wing political figures, including Andalucía's representative for Podemos Teresa Rodríguez, and members of the Basque reunification party EH Bildu.
Whilst many do not support the idea of Catalunya's becoming a separate country, they consider the people should have a right to vote in a non-binding referendum and that the State's actions have gone too far.
