News reports says Spanish police have arrested 12 people in raids on offices of the regional government of Catalonia as a crackdown intensifies on the region's preparations for a secession vote that Spain says is illegal.

Spain's Europa Press news agency and other media outlets said the raids Wednesday mostly targeted the region's economic and foreign departments as Spanish authorities worked to halt all preparatory moves for the planned Oct. 1 referendum.

Hundreds of people gathered to protest the raids and shout pro-independence slogans outside offices in the region's capital, Barcelona.

The Catalan regional government confirmed Josep Maria Jove, secretary general of economic affairs, was among those arrested.

Police and judicial authorities would give no details on the operation, saying a judge has placed a secrecy order on it. </s> (MADRID) — Spanish police arrested at least 12 people Wednesday in raids on Catalan government offices, news reports said, as national authorities intensified a crackdown on the region's preparations for a secession vote that Spain says is illegal.

It was the first time Spanish authorities have detained Catalan officials since the campaign to hold a vote on Catalonia's independence began to gather momentum in 2011.

The move was the latest spike in tension in the standoff between national authorities based in Madrid and pro-independence Catalans over a planned Oct. 1 referendum. Several thousand Catalans gathered to angrily protest the raids outside government offices in the region's capital, Barcelona.

Some demonstrators sat down in the street to block police cars, while others scuffled with officers. Protests also occurred in other Catalan towns. There were no reports of arrests or injuries.

Catalonia's president, Carles Puigdemont, blasted the police operations as "unlawful" and accused the national government of adopting a "totalitarian attitude."

Police acting on a judge's orders searched 42 premises, including six regional government offices, officials' private offices and homes, as well as three companies in Barcelona, the city's superior court said in a statement. It said some 20 people are under investigation for alleged disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement related to the referendum.

Police and judicial authorities declined to give further details of the operation, which aimed to halt preparations for the vote, saying a judge has placed a secrecy order on it.

Police confiscated nearly 10 million ballot papers, the Interior Ministry said. Polling station signs and documents for electoral officers were also seized during a raid on a warehouse in a small town outside Barcelona.

The Catalan regional government confirmed Josep Maria Jove, secretary general of economic affairs, and Lluis Salvado, secretary of taxation, were among those arrested. Jove is No. 2 to the region's vice president and economy chief, Oriol Junqueras.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his conservative government is determined to prevent the ballot. He said the Catalan government is going against the Spanish Constitution by holding the vote and that "logically, the state has to act."

"No democratic state in the world would accept what these people are proposing," Rajoy said. His stance has the backing of most Spanish opposition parties.

The Constitutional Court has ordered the vote to be suspended as it assesses its legality, but Catalan officials say they will press ahead regardless.

"Today the government of Rajoy has crossed a very dangerous red line," said Jordi Sanchez, president of Catalan National Assembly, a civic group leading the independence drive. "We will do all we can for democracy and freedom to prevail."

The Barcelona soccer team, which is popular around the world, waded into the controversy too. It said it "condemns any act that may impede the free exercise of (democratic) rights" and vowed to "continue to support the will of the majority of Catalan people, and will do so in a civil, peaceful, and exemplary way."

The arrests risked stoking public anger in Catalonia, where pro-independence passions can run high. At the demonstration outside the Catalan regional ministry of economy, protester Charo Rovira said she felt sad at the turn of events.

"Catalonia is practically in a state of siege," she said. She added that the arrested politicians were merely acting according to the will of the people.

Spain's Interior Ministry canceled time off and scheduled leave for Civil Guard and National Police officers who are being deployed to ensure the ballot doesn't happen. It gave no details on the number of agents involved.

In another tightening of the screw, Spain's Finance Ministry said it has imposed further controls over the Catalan government's finances to ensure no public money is used for the referendum. Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro signed an order late Tuesday that limits new credit and requires central authorities' supervision for every payment of non-essential services in Catalonia, the ministry said.

The measure means that virtually all the Catalan public spending will be in the hands of Madrid. The Finance Ministry took over the direct payment of basic services such as education, health and civil servants' salaries last week.

Puigdemont claimed the central government has effectively ended Catalonia's self-rule. The region, like others in Spain, has broad self-governing powers.

Catalonia represents a fifth of Spain's 1.1-trillion-euro ($1.32 trillion) economy. The region's 7.5 million inhabitants overwhelmingly favor a referendum but are roughly evenly divided over independence. </s> Have your say

Spain’s state prosecutor is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court.

The prosecutor has ordered police to arrest the mayors if they do not comply.

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The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilities for the plebiscite.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

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On Wednesday, the country’s top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the October 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they do not show up to give evidence. </s> MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Supreme Court says international arrest warrants have been issued for 6 fugitive Catalan politicians. </s> Spain's state prosecutor office says he is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, and has ordered police to arrest them if they don't comply.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilites for the plebiscite.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

On Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they don't show up for testimony. </s> MADRID (AP) - Spain's state prosecutor office says he is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, and has ordered police to arrest them if they don't comply.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilites for the plebiscite.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

Family members wearing estelada or independence flags on their back walk at the end of a big rally during the Catalan National Day in Barcelona, Spain, Monday Sept. 11, 2017. Some thousands rally in Barcelona to show support for an independent Catalan nation and the right to vote in a controversial referendum that has been banned by Spain. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

On Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they don't show up for testimony. </s> MADRID (Reuters) - Spain’s public prosecutor on Friday sought jail terms of up to 25 years for nine leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement, filing charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds over a failed secession bid that they spearheaded last year.

But the State Attorney - a separate government-appointed body also prosecuting in the case - said rebellion charges should be dropped in favor of the lesser offence of sedition and that it would seek maximum sentences of 12 years.

Madrid imposed direct rule on the wealthy northeastern region in October 2017 after it declared its independence on the basis of a referendum that Spanish courts ruled was unconstitutional.

The nine politicians were jailed without bail for their role in that campaign and remain in custody pending trail.

The prosecutor is also seeking lesser charges for another nine others accused of involvement in the campaign who have not been jailed ahead of the trial.

The prosecutor sought 25 years in jail for Oriol Junqueras, the leader of pro-Catalan-independence party ERC, it said in a statement.

It recommended sentences of up to 17 years on the same charges for the other eight Catalan politicians.

The leaders’ defense team must present its case in the next few weeks and the trial is expected to begin in January.

There was no immediate comment from the Catalan regional government. Its head Quim Torra will address the media on Friday afternoon. </s> Spanish police entered offices of the Catalan regions economy, interior, foreign affairs, welfare, telecommunications and tax departments, on 20 September and arrested Catalonias junior economy minister. The arrest sparked thousands of pro-independence voters to gather outside Catalan regions economy ministry building. </s> Spanish police ordered the arrest of more than 700 Catalan mayors if they don’t comply with an investigation into their cooperation with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, prosecutors said.

Jose Manuel Maza, Spain’s top prosecutor, ordered provincial prosecutors Wednesday to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote. He said regional Catalan police are to arrest them if they don’t show up for testimony.

The pro-independence coalition ruling the region managed to get enough votes to pass the referendum last week despite great opposition by other members and the Spanish government in Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum. He was granted a suspension by the Constitutional court while judges decide on its legality.

The Catalan coalition has vowed to hold the vote despite being barred from doing so and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilities for the vote.

The Catalonia region, which includes Barcelona, generates a fifth of Spain’s gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government.

Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.

The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia, an idea that gained support in times of high unemployment and harsh austerity measures as a result of Spain’s 2008-2013 financial crisis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Around 30 people are arrested in an operation against corruption in the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona.