Catalan referendum: Elderly man in tears after voting for independence from ‘dictatorship’

The elderly man, who was accompanied by his grandchildren to the ballot box, came out of the voting booth in tears.

He told Sky News that the chance to take part in the democratic exercise across Catalonia today was “a great joy because we have lived for many years in a dictatorship”.

Mark Stone later said that this day had been a long time coming for the elderly man, who had dreamed of independence for as well as he could remember. 

The man’s grandchild said: “I have no vote, I’m not old enough. But now it’s the time of the old people. They cannot rest any longer.

“My grandparents, they lived under Franco. So for them, it means so much, it’s one of the most important days in their life to be involved in this democracy.”

The interview was then cut short due to the looming threat of police violence on the streets of Barcelona.

The Spanish Civil Guard has revealed that at least 38 people have so far been injured in clashes with the police.

Police have deployed heavy-handed violence to break up sitting protests and seize ballot boxes. 

The local Catalan regional government has branded the violence “unjustifiable”. 

Regional officials have promised to declare Catalonia an independent country within 48 hours if the referendum results in a ‘Yes’ vote.