Catalonia’s independence referendum concluded Sunday night here in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, amid deep uncertainty about everything from the integrity of the vote to the meaning of the result. Despite claims from Spain’s central government in Madrid that the referendum was illegal and the result would not be recognized, a spokesperson for the Catalan regional government announced early Monday morning that 2,262,424 valid votes had been cast and counted — 90 percent of them in favor of independence from Spain.

"Out of the 2,262,424 ballots that were not seized, 2,020,144 were YES votes, 176,566 were NO votes, 45,586 in blank and 20,129 null votes" — Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017

Immediately after the announcement, Spanish reporters pressed the spokesperson, Jordi Turull, to say what it meant for the referendum that the 2,262,424 voters comprised just 42 percent of Catalonia’s 5,343,358 eligible voters. Turull argued that ballot boxes seized by the Spanish police in an effort to block the referendum could have contained up to 700,000 more votes, meaning that more than 55 percent of the population might have attempted to take part in the referendum. The counting, under strained circumstances, came at the end of a long day, which began before dawn with voters and poll workers across the region defending polling places from closure by national and regional police forces, acting on orders from Spain’s constitutional court to block the vote.

100s of referendum supporters wait at a Barcelona polling place where activists spent the night; plan passive resistance when police come pic.twitter.com/9RGf6bWV4B — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 1, 2017

Catalan police dispatched to close polling station greeted by chants of "We will vote!" pic.twitter.com/xMmBuYZIv5 — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 1, 2017

Emotional scenes in Gracia with rounds of applause for elderly voters emerging from polling place for #CatalanReferendum defying police pic.twitter.com/fnvya6NaNB — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 1, 2017

54,9% participation #ArenysDeMunt a 6 pm. The main street -la Riera- full of people, and the ballot boxes full of votes. #CatalanReferèndum pic.twitter.com/q0oLuLzRW4 — Joan Rabasseda (@JoanRabasseda) October 1, 2017

Crits de #hemvotat quan passen les 20h a l'escola Antoni Balmanya del Camp de l'Arpa del Clot @btvnoticies pic.twitter.com/AOv45zEAHm — Cristina Brotons (@BrotonsCristina) October 1, 2017

La plaça Catalunya salta de alegría al escuchar que, según el Govern, 2 millones de catalanes han dicho sí a la independencia. pic.twitter.com/aC99niOq5s — Guillem Andrés (@Guillem_Andres) October 1, 2017

The effort to conduct a public exercise in democracy while simultaneously hiding ballot boxes from the police gave rise to surreal scenes across the region.

Vidéo incroyable de la ville d'Igualada, à une heure de Barcelone. Une haie d'honneur et de protection citoyenne pour les urnes, transportées à la mairie pour dépouillement (images Daniel Farre) #ReferendumCatalan pic.twitter.com/vdqeqd9ptY — Frédéric Autran (@fredericautran) October 1, 2017

While the atmosphere at many polling places in the region was tense but calm, with limited efforts to block voting by the autonomous Catalan police force, known as the Mossos, images of Spanish police forces from outside the region using violence at a few polling places stunned and angered even those in the region opposed to secession.

Photo: Almagro/Sipa via AP Images)

Speaking as poll workers counted those ballots that had not been seized by the police, Carles Puigdemont, the leader of the Catalan Generalitat, a local executive with centuries of history, suggested that the next steps could take time. Puigdemont made clear, however, that he expected the vote to result in the formation of “an independent state.”

(4) Avui Catalunya ha guanyat molts referèndums. Tenim dret a la llibertat, a viure en pau, fora d'un Estat que només etén la imposició pic.twitter.com/WrfclxVQEG — Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) October 1, 2017

“Today, we have earned our right to sovereignty and respect,” Puigdemont said, calling on the European Union to help mediate dialogue with Spain. “This is no longer an internal affair, this is a European affair,” he added. Some European leaders, including the Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel, had indeed deplored the use of force by Spanish police officers against Catalan voters.

Violence can never be the answer! We condemn all forms of violence and reaffirm our call for political dialogue #CatalanReferendum #Spain — Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) October 1, 2017

Although an international observer mission of former parliamentarians praised the referendum, the EU released a statement Monday morning making it clear that it would not intervene in what it considers an internal affair of a member state. The European Commission added that in the event of a subsequent referendum considered legal by Spain, Catalonia would find itself outside the EU.

Legal position: If referendum were to be organised in line with the Spanish Const. = territory leaving would find itself outside of EU. — European Commission (@EU_Commission) October 2, 2017

Earlier on Sunday, Turull hailed the courage of voters who had turned out in large numbers, braving long lines and what he called “savage” violence inflicted by police officers from outside the region.

Images that Madrid has been fearing as police uses force to remove young and old from voting stations. @FT pic.twitter.com/F09fpak5FI — Michael Stothard (@MStothard) October 1, 2017

Escuela adultos Freire, en Barcelona, @policia ha requisado urnas y herido a esta mujer, cuentan quienes estaban https://t.co/TCgRopKo81 pic.twitter.com/KGwso66BwI — Rebeca Carranco (@RebecaCarranco) October 1, 2017

En el instituto Pau Claris, ahora. Mi hermana llora y yo con ella desde Madrid. pic.twitter.com/USE5FHkPxA — Luz Sanchis (@LuzSanchis) October 1, 2017

Así ha entrado la policía en la Escola Tomàs Moro en Nou Barris. #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/4YzH6YULoH — El Salto (@ElSaltoDiario) October 1, 2017

La Policia Nacional requisant les urnes a l'Escola Ramon Llull @btvnoticies pic.twitter.com/p14RzxlGOR — Clara Vera (@ClaraVera14) October 1, 2017

DIRECTO | La Guardia Civil rompe los cristales del polideportivo donde tiene previsto votar Puigdemont https://t.co/YC5BopIniH pic.twitter.com/1o21j8tOlX — EL PAÍS Catalunya (@elpaiscatalunya) October 1, 2017

així ens han tractat al cap guinardó. imatges de jordi folch pic.twitter.com/q35tOc5n1u — natza farré (@natzafarre) October 1, 2017

I have no words to describe this. Spain has lost Catalonia.#CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/uLZQCpgljp — Catalans for Yes (@CatalansForYes) October 1, 2017

Man injured in Girona "this happened in ceip Verd" pic.twitter.com/NxVzP6EOVE — Anna Codina (@ultrasonica) October 1, 2017

“We want to live in peace without violence,” Puigdemont said, “outside a state that can give us no reason to be with them.” The Catalan leader underscored his outrage on Twitter, sharing images of voters being beaten and a political cartoon comparing the anti-referendum police violence to an iconic image from the Spanish civil war of a Republican soldier being killed by fascists.

In Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy seemed untroubled by the shocking images of police violence, which he made no mention of in a televised address. Rajoy instead insisted that the Catalan referendum, which he called “an attack” on the Spanish state, had been so severely hampered that it effectively had “not taken place.”

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy: "Today there was no referendum of self-determination in #Cataluña" pic.twitter.com/47Qhf2MdaD (via @24h_tve) — Jack Quann (@jqbilbao) October 1, 2017

As British journalist Paul Mason reported from the Plaça de Catalunya in central Barcelona, where supporters of independence watched the prime minister’s speech, his remarks seemed to many in Catalonia to have come not just from a different country, but a parallel universe.

I'm standing in a square of 30k + educated, cultured Europeans hearing Rajoy tell they did not take part in a referendum — Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) October 1, 2017

Boos and "resign!" shouts as Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy speaks #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/iQV5urmSmv — Jon Sindreu (@jonsindreu) October 1, 2017

After claiming that the referendum had been stopped, ignoring the vast numbers of votes cast before the eyes of the international press, Rajoy went on to praise the national police officers deployed to the region who, he insisted had “reacted in a peaceful way,” despite copious visual evidence that they used excessive force to disperse voters at some polling places who were clearly peaceful.

Cops i empentes als manifestants. La @policia ordena rodejar. Agents demanen "siusplau" pas. La gent resisteix a terra. pic.twitter.com/ENlyynE9L6 — SER CATALUNYA (@SERCatalunya) October 1, 2017

La Policia Nacional espanyola intenta desallotjar el col·legi Jaume Balmes de Barcelona https://t.co/mIW0ayrE7j #refND pic.twitter.com/P9GAZHIcuj — NacióDigital (@naciodigital) October 1, 2017

Som gent de pau! Grita la gente pic.twitter.com/DzKw5sUB92 — Clara Blanchar (@clarablanchar) October 1, 2017

This is video from minutes ago, riot police charging and firing shots in #girona, credit to @ri_ta_na who is a journalist pic.twitter.com/tpWTS08iyd — Anna Codina (@ultrasonica) October 1, 2017

The most severe injuries, the Catalan government said, were caused by the firing of rubber bullets, which required two voters to undergo surgery.

Moment en que sóc colpejat per l’esquena i al cap. Mentre gravava #CatalanReferendum pic.twitter.com/UIkdXfTwuK — XabiBarrena (@XabiBarrena) October 1, 2017

Police are firing rubber bullets at voters during protests as the independence referendum gets under way #CatalonianReferendum pic.twitter.com/XNEuwwgZ7S — Sky News (@SkyNews) October 1, 2017

Ada Colau, Barcelona’s mayor, who opposes independence for Catalonia, but insisted that the region should have been allowed to vote on the matter freely, called on Rajoy to resign.

"All police operations against us, a people calling for rights and freedoms, must stop." @AdaColau pic.twitter.com/OCjEP7hyqd — Ajuntament de BCN (@bcn_ajuntament) October 1, 2017

As the Catalans stressed their commitment to nonviolence, several voters at a polling place in Barcelona told me that it was outrageous that their region was given less autonomy than another part of Spain, the Basque Country, where militants had for years carried out terrorist attacks in pursuit of independence. While thousands of police officers from outside Catalonia took the heavy-handed measures to stop voting at a small number of polling places that drew the most media attention, the larger regional force restricted its efforts to issuing stern warnings to voters and standing aside as ballots were cast.

Mossos tell the crowd: 'What you are doing is illegal. We are asking you to hand over ballot papers & pens, after that we can do nothing' — Mike Wade (@mikewadejourno) October 1, 2017

As voting center doors close, one person: "what if Mossos come and close it now?" Another: "they won't, they're on our side." — Zach Campbell (@notzachcampbell) October 1, 2017

Police ask who is in charge at polling place; crowd answers, "Everyone!" pic.twitter.com/UCgtXJevQx — Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) October 1, 2017

For this “passivity,” the Catalan force was severely criticized by the central government’s representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo. The regional government, in turn, called for Millo to resign.

Spokesman Turull: "On behalf of the Catalan Government, we ask @EnricMillo to step down as the Spanish state's delegate in Catalonia" — Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 1, 2017

In response to the violence, the board of Football Club Barcelona — the team that was, for years under the Franco dictatorship, a focus of Catalan national pride — demanded that a match scheduled for Sunday afternoon be postponed. The Spanish league, however, denied the request, apparently as part of an official effort to pretend that all was well in Catalonia.

Statement from Barça condemns "today's actions in Catalunya preventing citizens from exercising and expressing their democratic rights" pic.twitter.com/cfWODWAGb7 — AS English (@English_AS) October 1, 2017

The club then decided to go ahead with the match against Las Palmas, a team from the Canary Islands that had been granted permission to add Spanish flag patches to their jerseys for the game, but in an empty stadium to make it clear that the day was anything but normal.

Among those most clearly moved by the day’s events was Gerard Piqué, a Catalan native who stars for both the club and the Spanish national team. The defender, who expressed pride when he voted earlier in the day, was visibly shaken as he addressed the media after the game.

Ja he votat. Junts som imparables defensant la democràcia. pic.twitter.com/mGXf7Qj1TM — Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) October 1, 2017

A tearful Gerard Piqué says he will quit the Spain team if his support for the #CatalanReferendum becomes an issue pic.twitter.com/bdMdctJ1v9 — Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) October 2, 2017

Piqué, whose Catalan nationalism has led to him being booed by Spaniards when he represents the country, teared up as he said that he would be willing to stop playing for Spain if he is no longer wanted.

Gerard #Pique in tears: I am proud of #Catalonia

If the national team don't want me, I'll leave #CatalanReferendumpic.twitter.com/4g4e8crv5e — Jamie Johnson (@JamieoJohnson) October 1, 2017

Several of the fan-owned club’s members, including the former captain and manager Pep Guardiola, were angered by the board’s refusal to simply forfeit the match in protest.

Pep Guardiola: "They said that we attacked police officers. With what? With votes?" #CatalanReferendum — FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) October 1, 2017

One club member who took part in the effort to defend the referendum, and was among those who slept in a polling station the night before, told The Intercept that he was “ashamed” FC Barcelona had played the match on a day of such violence against Catalans. “I will quit FCB if the board does not resign this week,” the activist said. “Where is the dignity?” The wounding of more than 800 voters by Spanish police officers provoked widespread anger and even led to scuffles in some places between officers from the autonomous regional force, the Mossos, and Spain’s national guard, the Guardia Civil.

Algunos parecen no tenerlo nada claro. Vergonzoso. pic.twitter.com/NinygR2GMy — AUGC Guardia Civil (@AUGC_Comunica) October 1, 2017

Un @guardiacivil agredeix amb un cop de porra a un @mossos a Sant Joan de Vilatorrada quan anava a demanar explicacions als agents. pic.twitter.com/8WcrE4fZ3I — SER CATALUNYA (@SERCatalunya) October 1, 2017