A strike in Catalonia brought large parts of Barcelona to a standstill. Thousands of Catalans protested over police violence during Sunday's independence referendum. Nearly 900 people were injured. Spain's government said the referendum was illegal. It told the police to break it up. Spain's king condemned the vote. He said people had put themselves "outside the law". He said the situation was "extremely serious". He also called for national unity.
Barcelona's mayor said Catalans deserved a vote on independence. She said people needed a democratic response and a political solution, "that listens to the cries of millions of people". She asked Spain's prime minister to resign. More unrest could come. A declaration of Catalan independence could send Spain into a constitutional crisis and risk the break-up of Spain. Other regions might copy Catalonia and have their own referendum.