Thousands of people gathered outside Catalonia’s parliament building as lawmakers were voting in a secret ballot. The crowd went wild with excitement the moment the decision to declare independence from Spain was announced.
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People in Barcelona with Catalan flags in hand watched the voting process and counting live on big screens on Friday. When the assembly’s speaker announced the results – 70 votes in favor, 10 against, and two blank ballots – the independence supporters in the street started dancing and cheering.
Inside the parliament building, pro-independence lawmakers headed by regional leader Carles Puigdemont gave the announcement a standing ovation and exchanged embraces. Most of the opposition members boycotted the vote, having left the chamber just before it started.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has stated that the rule of law will be restored in Catalonia and appealed for calm.