Catalonia has a distinct language, flag, history, and culture. Is it fair that they are still under the control of the Spanish government?

  Catalonia is a region northeast of Spain that has been under the rule of the Spanish government since Ferdinand I of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile got married in 1469. Catalonia makes up for 16% of Spain’s population and 19% of Spanish GDP (gross domestic product). Essentially, to the people of Catalonia the Spanish central government takes more from than it gives back. That is why millions of people in Catalonia stood in line on Oct. 1, to illegally vote for their independence from Spain.

  Dozens of police officers sent from the Spanish government, armed with rubber bullets and truncheons, spread throughout the region to seize ballot boxes to stop the voting for Catalonia’s independence. Many of people camped near ballot boxes fearful of officers taking away the boxes. By the end of the day, both Catalonia and the Spanish government claimed themselves victorious as the voting proceeded in majority of the towns and cities, with men, women, old and young stood in line chanting and singing.

  By midnight, the Catalonian government said that the referendum, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative, was approved by 90% of the 2.3 million voters.       The day’s events left nothing clear except for the fact that the two sides are more polarized than ever. The Spanish central government was quick to respond with the suspension of the voting. For the Catalan Government, the Spanish Government’s refusal to agree on the issue of independence is testament to the failure of democracy in Spain. The Catalonians look as if they will get no backing from the European Union whom are wary of stocking forces of fragmentation already pulling at the bloc and many member states, but no side is without support as Scotland and Venezuela are some of the few backers of the referendum.