Spanish police arrest 7 over Catalonia secession bid

Spanish authorities detained seven people in Catalonia on Tuesday as part of a crackdown on disturbances associated with the region’s independence bid. Officials in Madrid say one of those arrested is suspected of terrorism, AP reports. According to the Guardia Civil, it arrested a woman believed to be a leader of Catalonia’s Committees for the Defense of the Republic – a grassroots group that allegedly organizes protests. Such groups have reportedly been behind the blocking of road and train routes in Catalonia to press their demand for independence. The legal grounds for the terrorism charge against the woman were not clear, but some Spanish officials have described the group’s actions as sabotage.