Catalan police have been forced into multiple standoffs with Spain’s Guardia Civil after widespread and often brutal violence against voters at polling stations Sunday. Local support for the Mossos d’Esquadra has even brought the police to tears.

Amid such violence and tension across Catalonia, heart-warming footage has emerged of teary-eyed members of the Mossos d’Esquadra standing arm in arm to defend polling stations from being attacked by Spanish police.

Els @mossos plorant de ràbia i impotència però obrint camí perquè la gent pugui votar a Vielha. pic.twitter.com/LjJWVlOeei — Magda Gregori (@MagdaGregori) October 1, 2017

In this footage, members of the Guardia Civil can be seen unceremoniously dumping voters outside a polling station reportedly in Gavá, before the local Catalan police intervene to rapturous cheers from the assembled crowd and cries of "Fascists!"

READ MORE: Catalonia holds independence referendum amid violent attempts to thwart vote (Live Updates)

Meanwhile, footage shot at a polling station in Barcelona's Carrer de Pau Claris shows riot police kicking voters and dragging them down the stairs.

WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS SCENES OF A VIOLENT NATURE.

Over five million Catalans are expected to cast their votes in more than 2,000 polling stations across the region.

Si algo rompe España es que el PP y los que le sostienen en el Congreso sigan destrozando la democracia #Rajoydimision#Noenminombrepic.twitter.com/LGZuzj7Ngn — Pablo Iglesias (@Pablo_Iglesias_) October 1, 2017

Catalan citizens also presented members of the Mossos with roses on the eve of polling day and the attendant outbreak of violence.

Los Mossos se van de El Putxet con claveles y entre aplausos y "gracias" de los vecinos. Algunos de ellos, con lágrimas, emocionados pic.twitter.com/toC7nlIjWT — Nacho Carretero (@NachoCarretero) October 1, 2017