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Spanish police used batons and rubber bullets against voters in Catalonia on Sunday in a bid to disrupt the banned referendum, with the government in Madrid refusing to accept the validity of the vote.
Barcelona metro stations were closed, pickets blocked main roads and civil servants walked out today after pro-independence groups called for a strike while the Spanish government refuse to acknowledge the referendum result, which was 90.1 per cent in favour of independence.
Now, Mr Farage has lambasted the EU for failing to condemn the violence in Spain despite pleas from officials in Catalonia, instead simply reiterating the Spanish government’s line that the referendum is not valid.
The former Ukip leader believes the EU “is in worse shape now than at any point in its history” and declared that Sunday’s referendum in Catalonia reveals the divisions that are emerging in countries across the bloc.
Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Farage said: “The EU’s response to this anti-democratic act has been telling. The EU Commission simply repeated the Spanish line that the referendum was illegal.
“It didn’t even condemn the shocking violence which was beamed around the world on TV news programmes.
“The vice president of the EU parliament, Ramon Luis Valcarcel of Spain's ruling People's Party, did commit to a position. He put out a tweet claiming the vote was a ‘coup against Europe’.