Updated at 15.00
BARCELONA’S MATCH AGAINST Las Palmas will be played behind-closed-doors today after violent clashes going on around Catalonia amid their independence referendum vote.
Videos of police beating citizens in the street and firing rubber bullets emerged on social media as those around the region attempted to cast their ballots in a vote that the Spanish government has declared illegal.
Barcelona’s official supporters group also released a statement to say they would invade the pitch if the fixture — scheduled for 3.15pm (4.15pm local time) went ahead and the club has decided to play the match without fans present at the Camp Nou after claiming the league refused to call it off.
“FC Barcelona condemns the events which have taken place in many parts of Catalonia today in order to prevent its citizens exercising their democratic right to free expression,” reads a statement released this afternoon.
“Given the exceptional nature of events, the Board of Directors have decided that the FC Barcelona first team game against Las Palmas will be played behind closes following the Professional Football League’s refusal to postpone the game.
The Catalan Footbal Federation (FCF) had already cancelled all games in the fourth tier and regional and amateur games and, as Barca still had not opened their stadium doors just a few hours before kick-off, it became evident that their match was at risk.
After weeks of tension which consisted of Spanish police raiding Catalan government offices — drawing criticism from Barcelona and leading to former star Olegeur branding the country a militarised state — the controversy increased even further today.
Gerard Pique cast his vote in the referendum and did so with pride, tweeting a picture of him with his ballot and the message: “I have already voted. Together we are unstoppable in defending democracy.”
However, Las Palmas took things to another level and promised to ensure that the anti-Catalan independence voice would be present in the game had it gone ahead.
Sunday’s visitors from the Canary Islands courted controversy by revealing that their players would take to the field with a Spanish flag embroidered on their jerseys to show their disdain for the vote.
“Today, Las Palmas pay a visit to Camp Nou, on an unprecedented date for our country, on the day that the Catalan government has set a referendum outside the Spanish legal framework,” a statement read.
“The public pronouncements in recent days, especially from Barcelona, have turned this Liga match into something more than a sporting event that complies with the fixture list.
“Today, what we are doing is very simple.With the Spanish flag embroidered on our shirts, we want to vote unequivocally in this imaginary consultation, to which no-one has summoned us, that we believe in the unity of Spain.”
Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:
The Spanish government/police are a disgrace. Spain should hang it’s head in shame!
@Laura Walsh: why?
@Paul: by deliberately trying to sabotage a referendum and intimidating a whole region with riot police, rubber bullets beatings etc..
@Acedeuce: they look to me as if they are upholding the law…….
@Paul: no matter the constitutionality of the vote the reaction is completely out of order
@Paul: upholding the commands from their EU masters morelike.
@Dave O Keeffe: well, two sides and all that…..
@TravellingTheWorld: no EU fan but its nothing to do with them.
@Laura Walsh: My son and husband are at Camp Nou as I type, just rang them now, they had been queuing for the past couple of hours with no update, no information, just now told the match is going ahead but no fans allowed the president claimed not enough security as all police are in Barcelona reports of over 400 injured in the city. Incredibly worried as my son is staying in the heart of the Gracia area of the city, they are trying to get a bus/metro back but it has turned very, very nasty.
@Paul: in fairness Paul they seem to have got this completely wrong and went in far too heavy handed. I know things arent always as they seem but all the footage shows the police being very rough and protestors with their hands up. A lot of footage shows the police pulling people out of polling stations, they weren’t even protesting they were just casting their vote.
@Paul: I’ve seen pictures of elderly women with police inflicted head injuries. That kind of police behaviour does not belong in any civilized society.
@molly coddled: Molly I hope your son and husband will be ok, I’m sure they will be.
@Paul: An unjust law is no law at all. Read up on Martin Luther King, Paul!
@Laura Walsh: Thanks Laura, the riot police are being indiscriminate and brutish, there are 16,000 riot police housed on Spanish government hired ferries and cruise liners docked at Barcelona port. This is not good, and you are right shame on Spain.
@Paul: doh!
@Laura Walsh: hey Laura stick to the kitchen sink
@Paul: Side 1. Police attacking citizens that showed up to vote. Side 2. There is no other side.
@molly coddled: I hope there ok.
Laura Walsh, you haven’t got a clue what you are talking about
@Conan Doyle: seems to me it’s you that hasn’t the clue. The government will make a martyr out of someone yet.
@Mick Power: I hasn’t or I haven’t?.
I have been living here for 25 years, I think I might know a little bit more than you. Do you understand what unconstitutional means?
@Conan Doyle: the Catalan parliament are not blameless here proceeding with a meaningless vote? Would the Spanish have been better off letting it go ahead and potentially failing ? Was there a mob mentality at play?
@Conan Doyle: I know exactly what unconstitutionally means. If they let the vote go unhindered it would of meant nothing anyway. Now the governments heavy handed tactics is only going to cause more trouble in the long term. Just because you live there doesn’t make you an expert. Just a grammar nazi tho.
Serves the Catalans right! They treat non Catalans like second class citizens in Catalonia!
Apparently Catalan and Spanish police are squaring up to each other now.
@Honeybadger197: not surprised.
Slightly off topic, but will the idiot who said recently that Barcelona is just an ordinary team come on here and apologize.
Played 7, Won 7. GF 20, GA 2
@Shawn Rahoon: yes. A little off topic alright.
Without Barcelona fc the Catalonia uprising =0. All la liga have to do is say that if Catalonia goes independent, Barcelona cant play in their league.