Spain seeks court ban on Catalonia independence vote

BBC News

Spain's government has asked the country's constitutional court to declare Catalonia's planned independence referendum illegal.

PM Mariano Rajoy told reporters that the vote was not "compatible with the Spanish constitution".

The head of the north-eastern Spanish region signed a decree on Saturday calling for a vote on 9 November.

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans joined a protest in Barcelona recently, calling for their right to vote.

Unhappy at Spain's refusal to give Catalans more powers, protesters have been energised by Scotland's recent independence referendum, and many also waved the Scottish flag.

On Monday, Mr Rajoy said "Nobody and nothing will be allowed to break up Spain."

He was speaking in a televised statement to the nation after holding an emergency cabinet meeting.

Catalonia is one of Spain's richest and most highly industrialised regions, and one of its most independent-minded.

Spain's emergency cabinet meeting was held in response to the regional decree calling for Catalan independence