BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spain’s government said on Saturday police had sealed off 1,300 of 2,315 schools in Catalonia which had been designated as polling stations for a banned independence referendum.

An official government source said 163 schools which have been earmarked as voting centers have been occupied by families.

People supporting the referendum have camped out overnight in schools in an effort to prevent an order by the head of the Catalan regional police to evacuate and close polling stations by 6 a.m. on Sunday, before the voting is due to open at 9 a.m.