Madrid have demonstrated today that their historic facist tendencies are not merely consigned to the past, as federal police were ordered to beat-up old ladies, fire-fighters and students in order to quell today's referendum on Catalonian succession from Spain.

Ultimately their efforts were for very little, as 96% of polling stations remained open and packed with Catalans acting on their democratic rights.

It does, however, represent a major shot in the foot for Mariano Rajoy's Spanish government, who enjoyed international backing from the US and the EU, as well as almost unanimously elsewhere across the board. The European Union has very clear rules on the use of police violence from Member States:

Article 7 of the European Union Treaty

"Suspension of any Member State that uses military force on its own population."

So surely Spain must now face suspension from the European Union, or do the rules simply not apply to them because Rajoy is an EU lapdog?

Here are some highlights of police action, mainly from Barcelona:

Police beat-up Catalan fire-fighters.

Police storm polling station and seize ballot boxes.

Young couple forcibly removed from polling station

Police swing batons indiscriminately at crowd.

The Madrid government cannot be allowed to get away with this. They must be made accountable for their assault on democracy, and we must make clear that those who attempt to use brutality in order to bludgeon a peaceful population into submission will always be punished for their crimes.

Stand with Catalonia, just like we stood with Kurdistan!