An estimated 300,000 Catalans have observed a general strike today, October 3rd, to condemn Sunday's police violence at a banned referendum on independence. The government in Madrid has come under international pressure to resolve its worst political crisis in decades with Mariano Rajoy sticking to his opinion that the Catalan vote was illegal and that the police used 'proportionate force.'
A crowd several thousand strong gathered in front of the Popular Party headquarters in Barcelona chanting "Occupiers Out!" – in Catalan, obviously, with protests taking place outside Cuidadanos party offices across the region.
Public transport services have been disrupted as well as port operations, after unions called for the stoppage to "vigorously condemn" the police response to the poll, in which Catalonia's leader said 90 percent of voters backed independence from Spain.
Traffic was cut along some of the main highways in the region causing 10 kilometre tailbacks, including the toll route AP-7 as people took to the streets to stage demonstrations. Some of the main thoroughfares in Barcelona, including the Gran Via and the Via Laietana were blocked.
Schools and public universities were closed as well as some of the most popular tourist attractions, including the contemporary art museum, football club FC Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia.
El Prat airport reported that it was functioning normally, with no flight cancellations or delays although few taxis were to be found waiting in the arrivals rank.
"I am convinced that this strike will be widely followed," Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said, ahead of the protest.
The central government has vowed to stop the wealthy northeastern region, which accounts for a fifth of Spain's GDP, breaking away from Spain and has dismissed Sunday's poll as unconstitutional and a "farce".
In a statement released late on Sunday, UGT and CCOO, Spain's biggest unions, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), a powerful pro-independence civil association, and 41 other organisations called for the work stoppage due to "the grave violation of rights and freedoms."
"We call all society, on employers' organisations, business owners, unions, workers, self-employed workers, institutions and all the citizens of Catalonia to stop the 'country' on Tuesday, October 3," read the press release.
