KING Felipe will make a televised statement at 9 a.m. local time, a spokesman for the royal household told CNN.
His
decision to intervene in the crisis comes as tens of thousands of
people gathered in Barcelona, angered by the harsh treatment meted out
by national forces who tried to prevent the banned vote from taking
place. Many demonstrated in front of the Barcelona headquarters of the
Spanish national police.
Shops
were closed, universities halted classes and transport companies ran
reduced services as supporters of Catalonia's bid for independence from
Spain attempted to maintain the momentum from Sunday's vote.
The
main trade unions, the CCOO and UGT stopped short of declaring a
general strike, describing the action instead as a "work stoppage" to
skirt labor laws that forbid strikes for political reasons.
Facing Spain's biggest political crisis in decades, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy held talks with opposition parties in Madrid.
Protesters gathering in
Barcelona said they were motivated by fury at Sunday's violent crackdown
-- the Catalan health ministry said 893 people were injured as riot
police raided polling stations, dragged away voters and fired rubber
bullets.
"This is a protest against police violence and maintaining momentum after Sunday," said Victor Noguer, 27, a firefighter.
"The
streets will always be ours," protesters chanted, some of them draped
in the blue, yellow and red Estelada flag used by Catalan separatists.
Protesters
wave a Catalan pro-independence 'Estelada' flag as they gather at the
Placa de la Universitat square in Barcelona during a general strike in
Catalonia called by Catalan unions on October 3, 2017.
Officers
from the Guardia Civil and the Catalan police force stood guard outside
the local headquarters of the Spanish government in Barcelona, where
hundreds of firefighters gathered. Other groups of protesters gathered
outside the headquarters of the national police, shouting "Spanish
police get out!"
In an
interview with CNN at a police control center in the city, Barcelona
Mayor Ada Colau condemned Rajoy's decision to deploy national security
forces as "seriously irresponsible."
"Why
is he throwing thousands of police officers against the population,"
asked Colau, who does not support Catalan independence but was in favor
of holding the referendum. "Why is he keeping thousands of police
officers on standby in the city of Barcelona and in Catalonia? What is
the message of fear he wants to send?"
Protestors gather in front of the Spanish Partido Popular ruling party headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
The
presence of the Spanish national police and the Guardia Civil in
Catalonia is a source of increasing tension in the city following
Sunday's violence. Animosity is also rising between local and national
forces.
On Tuesday, the Guardia Civil police union, the AUGC, filed a complaint with the Catalan High Court against
the Catalan police, or Mossos d'Esquadra, complaining that they failed
in their duties by not enforcing the court ruling that banned the
referendum.
The AUGC also
filed a complaint in connection with the eviction of 200 officers from
the Hotel Vila in the Calella district of Barcelona. It called for a
judicial inquiry into reports the mayor threatened to withdraw the
hotel's license if the Guardia Civil remained there.
Spanish
newspaper El Pais said two hotels in Barcelona and hotels in Reus, 100
kilometers from the city, have ordered Guardia Civil officers to leave
following Sunday's referendum.
Spain's
Interior Minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, said Madrid would "take all
necessary measures" to stop the "intolerable harassment" of national
security forces.
The
Catalan government says it earned the right to split from Spain,
claiming 90% of those who voted in Sunday's poll were in favour of
independence. But the result was not decisive: turnout was low, at
around 42%.
Catalan
authorities blamed the crackdown for the low turnout, but it remains
clear that public opinion in Catalonia is deeply split on independence.
Catalan
President Carles Puigdemont stopped short of declaring independence for
Catalonia Monday. According to the referendum law passed by the Catalan
Parliament -- and declared illegal by Spain's top court -- authorities
have 48 hours after the result to declare a split. Catalan authorities
have not yet presented a final result to the Parliament in Barcelona.
Puigdemont has called for international mediation to resolve the crisis.
Protestors throw referendum ballots as they rally in front of Spain's ruling Partido Popular headquarters in Barcelona.
It
said that during his meetings the Prime Minister "has strongly defended
the actions of the security forces during [Sunday's] events and has
reiterated that more than 400 officers needed (medical) attention and 40
needed emergency attention because of their injuries."
Rajoy's
office said Tuesday that he was considering calling a special session
of Spain's Congress of Deputies to discuss the crisis.
So
far, European Union leaders and the European Commission have backed the
Spanish government's opinion that the referendum was illegal.
The
European Parliament, the EU's only elected body, will discuss the
crists on Wednesday. The issue Catalan cause is likely to find more
sympathizers, especially from the smaller nations.
The
UN Commissioner for Human Rights has asked to be allowed to send in
experts to examine if citizens' rights have been violated.
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