Pictures Reveal the ‘Microvillages’ of a Divided Catalonia
Decades of national tension lead to long-lasting implications for Spain's future.
The northeastern corner of Spain is home to the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia, whose people have long regarded themselves not as a region, but as a nation. They have their own language, Catalan, and less than half of the population regularly communicates in Castilian Spanish.
On Sunday, October 1, Catalan voters took to the polls for the first time since their failed attempt at establishing full independence from Spain in 2014. The vote was once again declared illegal by the central Spanish government in Madrid, and many voters had their ballots confiscated by police. Officers in riot gear blocked other citizens from voting—at times beating them bloody and firing rubber bullets into the crowds.
Doors of polling stations were smashed by police
