The battle between Spain and its Catalonia region has been brewing for years.
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 file photo Catalan President Carles Puigdemont walks to the stage to deliver a speech during an event promoting the start of the campaigning for the ballot in Tarragona, about 100 kilometres south of Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
In recent weeks, it has come to a head, starting with an Oct. 1 referendum that the Spanish courts have declared illegal. Supporters of independence brought sleeping bags the night before, occupying polling stations to make sure it went ahead. On the day of the vote, police fired rubber bullets, smashed their way into polling stations and beat back protesters with batons. Hundreds were injured. The Barcelona soccer team played its game that day in an empty stadium because of safety concerns.
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The battle between Spain and its Catalonia region has been brewing for years.
In recent weeks, it has come to a head, starting with an Oct. 1 referendum that the Spanish courts have declared illegal. Supporters of independence brought sleeping bags the night before, occupying polling stations to make sure it went ahead. On the day of the vote, police fired rubber bullets, smashed their way into polling stations and beat back protesters with batons. Hundreds were injured. The Barcelona soccer team played its game that day in an empty stadium because of safety concerns.
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 30 2017 file photo people prepare to spend the night inside a school listed to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo a girl grimaces as Spanish National Police pushes away pro-referendum supporters outside the Ramon Llull school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo tourists from Switzerland, sunbath at a terrace overlooking Universitat square as demonstrators gather in protest in downtown Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Enric Marti, File)
In the end, those who voted were overwhelmingly in favor of independence, but only about 2.3 million of the region's 5.3 million voters cast ballots. Critics say the vote didn't meet the basic criteria to be valid. Polls have shown the region about evenly split on independence.
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 30 2017 file photo people prepare to spend the night inside a school listed to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo Irene Guszman, 15, wearing a Spanish flag on her shoulders and Mariona Esteve, 14, with an 'estelada' or independence flag, walk along the street to take part on a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo a woman wearing an estelada or independence flag walks along a street covered with referendum ballots threw by pro-independence demonstrators, during a rally in front of the Spanish Partido Popular ruling party headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 10, 2017 file photo Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont works on his speech at his desk inside the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
Weeks later, it's still not clear whether the region's leader has actually declared independence. On Thursday, he threatened to do so explicitly unless talks are held. Now, Spain's central government is preparing to revoke the region's autonomy, meaning the uncertainty is far from over. People on both sides have been taking to the streets to make their views known.
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 file photo two men dressed in donkey masks and wrapped with an "estelada" or pro independence flag rest during a protest in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 file photo a man fixes posters to a wall in Barcelona, Spain encouraging people to vote 'Yes' in the Oct. 1 referendum on the Catalonia region's independence. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo Spanish riot police shoots rubber bullet straight to people trying to reach a voting site at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE, In this Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 photo, a Spanish riot police swings a baton against would-be voters near a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Las Palmas is played at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 22, 2017 file photo people sleep on the ground during a protest in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 30 2017 file photo people prepare to spend the night inside a school listed to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo a girl grimaces as Spanish National Police pushes away pro-referendum supporters outside the Ramon Llull school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo tourists from Switzerland, sunbath at a terrace overlooking Universitat square as demonstrators gather in protest in downtown Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Enric Marti, File)
In the end, those who voted were overwhelmingly in favor of independence, but only about 2.3 million of the region's 5.3 million voters cast ballots. Critics say the vote didn't meet the basic criteria to be valid. Polls have shown the region about evenly split on independence.
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 30 2017 file photo people at a cafe watch demonstrators marching to defend the unity of Spain and against a disputed referendum on the region's independence that separatist politicians want to hold Sunday, in Barcelona. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 30 2017 file photo people prepare to spend the night inside a school listed to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo Irene Guszman, 15, wearing a Spanish flag on her shoulders and Mariona Esteve, 14, with an 'estelada' or independence flag, walk along the street to take part on a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 3, 2017 file photo a woman wearing an estelada or independence flag walks along a street covered with referendum ballots threw by pro-independence demonstrators, during a rally in front of the Spanish Partido Popular ruling party headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Tuesday Oct. 10, 2017 file photo Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont works on his speech at his desk inside the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
Weeks later, it's still not clear whether the region's leader has actually declared independence. On Thursday, he threatened to do so explicitly unless talks are held. Now, Spain's central government is preparing to revoke the region's autonomy, meaning the uncertainty is far from over. People on both sides have been taking to the streets to make their views known.
FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017 file photo, the Camp Nou stadium is illuminated in Barcelona, Spain. The battle between Spain and its Catalonia region has been brewing for years. In recent weeks, it has come to a head, starting with an Oct. 1 referendum that the Spanish courts has declared illegal. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 file photo two men dressed in donkey masks and wrapped with an "estelada" or pro independence flag rest during a protest in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 file photo a man fixes posters to a wall in Barcelona, Spain encouraging people to vote 'Yes' in the Oct. 1 referendum on the Catalonia region's independence. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo Spanish riot police shoots rubber bullet straight to people trying to reach a voting site at a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
FILE, In this Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 photo, a Spanish riot police swings a baton against would-be voters near a school assigned to be a polling station by the Catalan government in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, 1 Oct. 2017 file photo Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Las Palmas is played at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
Catalonia, one of Spain's 17 autonomous regions, has some 7.5 million people and includes Barcelona. The region has its own language and generates a fifth of Spain's 1.1 trillion euro economy.
