Spanish PM Rajoy Blasts Catalans' "Mockery Of Democracy", Says Spain "Responded With Firmness, Calm" Injuring 761 People

Update: With the injury count now at 761, according to El Mundo, here are the headlines from Rajoy"s address as he bagen: Catalonia"s unauthorized independence referendum "is a mockery of the very essence of democracy," Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says.

Speaking from the Palace of Moncloa, his official residence in Madrid, Rajoy said "there has been no referendum of self-determination in Catalonia today".

• *RAJOY SAYS MAIN OBLIGATION IS TO FULFILL LAW


• *REFERENDUM ON SELF-DETERMINATION DIDN"T TAKE PLACE: RAJOY


• *CATALAN POLITICAL DEMANDS MUST BE MET THROUGH DIALOGUE: RAJOY


• *MAJORITY OF CATALANS HAVE SHOWN THEY RESPECT LAW: RAJOY


• *SPANISH GOVT RESPONDED WITH FIRMNESS, CALM: RAJOY


• *SPAIN HAS FULFILLED DUTY ACCORDING TO LAW: RAJOY


• *RAJOY THANKS SUPPORT OF EU, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (which is now over!)


• *SPAIN SHOULD SEEK TO REBUILD COEXISTENCE: RAJOY


• *RAJOY THANKS POLICE FORCES FOR LOYALTY TO SPANISH STATE


• *RAJOY TO SUMMON PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES TO REFLECT ON FUTURE

A total of 761 people were injured in violent clashes with police during Sunday"s disputed referendum on Catalonia"s independence from Spain, the Catalan regional government reports.

*  *  *

Four days after meeting with President Trump, who "hoped" Spain would stay "united" and that "secession would be foolish," Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy is set to address the nation to explain why he sent his brutish military into Catalonia to stop people of his nation from exercising their free will to vote, injuring over 400 in the meantime. 

The Spanish government has opposed the referendum, deeming it “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

Political leaders outside Spain had publicly backed Rajoy to enforce the law ahead of the vote.

Here was Trump and Rajoy last week...

President Trump said Tuesday that the United States opposes an independence drive in the Spanish region of Catalonia, telling reporters that such secession would be “foolish.”

“I think Spain is a great country, and it should remain united,” Trump said during a news conference with the visiting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The president"s remarks mark a departure from the official position of the United States, which, as recently as Monday, was that a planned nonbinding Catalonia referendum Sunday to separate from Spain was an internal matter.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert had said earlier this month that the United States took no position on the referendum.

"We will let the government and the people there work it out, and we will work with whatever government or entity that comes out of it,” Nauert said.

But images of Sunday’s crackdown tested that backing...

“It’s a huge PR disaster for the Spanish government. It’s hard to justify the police beating up people,” said Angel Talavera, an analyst at Oxford Economics in London.

“We are going to see the secessionists start to try to win more international support. They will present the events as evidence for their thesis that they are up against a repressive regime.”

Political leaders were joined by celebrities.

“Violence can never be the answer!” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michelsaid on Twitter. “We condemn all forms of violence and reaffirm our call for political dialogue.”

U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted that “police violence against citizens in Catalonia is shocking. The Spanish government must act to end it now.”

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlingtold her 12.7 million Twitter followers that the violent images were “repugnant and unjustifiable.”

Former Barcelona FC captain and Spanish national soccer team player Xavi Hernandez said it was “unacceptable that in a democratic country the people cannot vote.”

And tonight"s live feed from Rajoy to explain the debacle that is occurring in Barcelona and across the region (due to begin at 1415ET):

Remember, as we noted yesterday that "if Catalonia secedes from Spain...in terms of the debt sustainability parameters laid down by the Treaty of Maastricht, it’d be the Eurozone debt crisis 2.0..."