Barcelona, Spain – The European Union will not intervene over Catalan independence, citing respect for the Spanish Constitution. The Spanish government maintains that the referendum for the state’s independence is illegal, and cracked down on Wednesday, arresting 14 senior officials, seizing ballots and raiding homes belonging to Catalan advocates on suspicion of organizing the vote. Reuters reports that state police also raided regional government offices, printers, newspapers and delivery companies, searching for campaign materials on Wednesday. The vote will take place on the first of October. 7.5 million people call Catalonia home, a region with its own language and culture that accounts for … Continue reading Catalonia vote to split from Spain approaches amid government crackdown