Spain acting like North Korea by blocking referendum websites, Catalan government blasts

The Catalan regional government claimed the move
threatened freedom of speech in the EU state as
Spanish authorities’s attempts to crush the
independence vote intensified.
A regional government spokesman said: “What they’re
doing by blocking domain name servers is doing what
Turkey does and what China does and what North
Korea does.”
“No western democracy does that. The internet is the
kingdom of freedom.”
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High court judge Mercedes Armas said the regional
authorities have continued to use websites to promote
the referendum despite a ban on such activities.
Catalan president Charles Puigdemot shared links to
websites with information on how to vote, but a court
order saw the websites blocked in a move that
angered the regional government.
Pro-independence group Catalan National Assembly
(ANC) had their website was taken down by police
before being move to another address.
The
ANC
said:
“We
received no notification whatsoever from the Guardia
Civil.”
“It shows that the government cares more about
stopping people from voting than they do about
preserving freedoms in Spain .”
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The move comes as the autonomous region’s police
force, Mossos, expressed reservations over orders to
close polling stations for Sunday’s vote.
Spain crisis: Protest outside
the Catalan High Court
Fri, September 22, 2017
Pro-Independence Associations called for a
meeting in front of the Catalan High Court building
demanding release of the 14 officials arrested
yesterday during a Spanish Police operation in an
attempt to stop the region's independence
referendum, due to take place on October 1, which
has been deemed illegal by the Spanish
government in Madrid
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People demonstrate in front of the Catalan High
Court building [Getty Images]
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The force warned public order would be at risk if they
move to shut polling stations.
Mossos has already been accused of split loyalties
with Spain bringing in thousands of extra national
police officers ahead of the referendum.
Madrid has backed its dramatic measures by branding
the referendum illegal, claiming it violates the
country’s constitution.
Thousands of extra police have been brought in to try
and prevent the vote
Police questioned 17 people on suspicion of
“disseminating a website for people to participate in a
referendum declared illegal by the constitutional
court".
Officers have been ordered to seize national
referendum materials and block people from casting
their votes in public buildings.
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont tweeted links to
websites with information on how to vote
Millions of ballot papers were seized and 14 officials
from the Catalan government arrested as Spain
scrambled to stop the “illegal” election.
The Catalan government has sent a letter of protest to
the European Union.
The regional authority claimed blocking websites was
part of “the ongoing unlawful repression of the
institutions of autonomy of Catalonia” in the letter

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