Catalan president calls people to 'democratically oppose' Madrid's takeover

In his first speech on public television, after the Catalan Parliament voted to declare independence on Friday, Puigdemont said he will not accept the suspension of the Catalan government by the Spanish government.

"It is a decision contrary to the one expressed at the ballot boxes", he said from the Catalan government's headquarters in Girona, his hometown.

"In a democratic society, Parliaments are the ones who appoint or dismiss presidents."

Madrid starts to take control of Catalan institutions

"And what now?", many Catalans ask themselves. The Spanish Government has already begun with the first measures derived from the approval of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution suspending Catalan self-government. This Saturday the chief of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police, has already been dismissed. Josep Lluís Trapero accumulated charges of sedition by his "inaction" according to the Spanish Government during the celebration of the referendum on the p1st of October.

The director general of the Catalan police, Pere Soler, has also been dismissed.

This Friday the president of the Spanish Government, Mariano Rajoy, has cancelled the president and his cabinet, has dissolved the parliament and called elections for December 21. With these measures and others to come, Madrid wants to recover the "legality" of Catalan institutions.

What is surprising is that Rajoy has delegated to the Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, all the functions that would correspond to him. Thus, Santamaría now has the powers of the presidency of the Generalitat. In this way, it is stated in the Official State Gazette (BOE), where it appears that the President of the Government assumes the functions and powers that correspond to the President of the Generalitat and in turn, Rajoy delegates his tasks to the Vice-President.

The measures and how they will be applied are still unknown.

Party time

Following Friday's declaration of independence, thousands of supporters took to the streets to welcome the Republic. The celebration did not stop even though hours after the proclamation Madrid had suspended the Catalan Executive and dissolved the parliament.

According to local police in Barcelona, about 6,000 participants were counted in Sant Jaume Square, in front of one of the buildings of the Catalan government, the Palau de la Generalitat.

The celebration had already begun hours before near where the Catalan Parliament is located, in Ciutadella Park.

On the other hand, a demonstration in favour of the unity of Spain was concentrated in front of the Catalan public radio station facilities, where demonstrators broke windows.