MORE than 890 voters were injured on Sunday’s referendum for independence in the Catalonia region of Spain. Argus reporter ESTEL FARELL-ROIG, who is from Catalonia, speaks to friends and family about what happened.

Catalonia held a referendum for independence on Sunday, despite the Spanish government’s opposition – who responded to the referendum with a strong police presence in the region in the past couple of weeks.

On Sunday, more than 890 voters were injured when anti-riot squads moved into polling stations to disperse voters and confiscate ballot boxes.

Ms Farell Roig’s mum Isabel Roig Perez said she was at the polling station in her town, Castellar del Valles, which is near Barcelona, from 6am on Sunday.

She decided to get there so early in case police tried to move them on, she continued. Catalan police, Mossos d'Esquadra, did attend the polling station, but they didn’t intervene and there was no violence.

“It was so emotional to cast my vote, there were so many doubts as if the referendum would go ahead,” Ms Roig Perez said. “It was a historic day for Catalonia and it was beautiful to see everyone coming together.

“It was sad to see the police response. It reminds me of my youth during Franco’s time.”

Ida Abad, one of Ms Farell-Roig’s best friends, managed to cast her vote as well.

Ms Abad said she felt “a deep sense of gratitude” towards those who had a made some sort of sacrifice so that she had the opportunity to “express her opinion”.

“I feel proud of the Catalan people and our government,” she continued. “There is so much hope that things will change.

“The repression and violence we received yesterday can’t be justified, especially in our modern society.

“I will never forget what people are capable of doing, both for the good and the bad.”

The Catalan government has called for international mediation with the Spanish government as they claimed that preliminary results of its referendum have shown 90 per cent in favour of independence in the vote vehemently opposed by Spain.