Senior
officials and lawmakers at Catalonia's regional government who were
removed by the Spanish central government as part of its measures to
impose direct-rule over the region have been given a few hours notice to
collect personal belongings from their offices and vacate them, Spain's
interior minister said Monday.
Spain's conservative government triggered a constitutional mechanism to reel back Catalan autonomy and dismissed its regional government after lawmakers in the devolved parliament voted in favor of unilaterally declaring independence.
"We are giving them a few hour to collect their personal objects because we want to restore normality in the most discreet way with minimal intervention," Juan Ignacio Zoido, the Spanish interior minister, told Antena3 TV.
The interior minister had been asked to clarify the circumstances behind an image widely shared on social media that showed the former Catalan councilor for internal affairs and sustainability Josep Rull still working in his office.
Zoido has assumed control of the Catalan interior ministry as part of the implementation of direct-rule from Madrid.
However, Rull later wrote on his Twitter account that he had been in his office to continue working on the agenda of Catalan independence.
"In the office, exercising the responsibilities entrusted to us by the people of Catalonia," the deposed regional minister said.
Police sources informed EFE that the dismissed government workers were allowed to go into the government building, located in central Barcelona, to collect their belongings as long as they were accompanied by an officer from the regional security forces, the Mossos d'Esquadra.
The Mossos have also been ordered to report any cases of sacked officials refusing to leave the premises to a judge.
Tensions between Barcelona and Madrid came to a head on Friday when the Catalan parliament passed a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, prompting a swift response from the Spanish government, which triggered Article 155 of the Constitution and stripped the affluent northeastern region of its autonomy.
As part of the measure, the former president Carles Puigdemont and his entire cabinet were removed from their posts, the parliament was dissolved and fresh local elections were slated for Dec. 21.
In a brief press conference the following day, Puigdemont vowed to continue working towards Catalan secession in defiance of Madrid's direct-rule.
Catalonia staged an independence referendum on Oct. 1 which was ruled illegal by the Spanish state.
Spain's conservative government triggered a constitutional mechanism to reel back Catalan autonomy and dismissed its regional government after lawmakers in the devolved parliament voted in favor of unilaterally declaring independence.
"We are giving them a few hour to collect their personal objects because we want to restore normality in the most discreet way with minimal intervention," Juan Ignacio Zoido, the Spanish interior minister, told Antena3 TV.
The interior minister had been asked to clarify the circumstances behind an image widely shared on social media that showed the former Catalan councilor for internal affairs and sustainability Josep Rull still working in his office.
Zoido has assumed control of the Catalan interior ministry as part of the implementation of direct-rule from Madrid.
However, Rull later wrote on his Twitter account that he had been in his office to continue working on the agenda of Catalan independence.
"In the office, exercising the responsibilities entrusted to us by the people of Catalonia," the deposed regional minister said.
Police sources informed EFE that the dismissed government workers were allowed to go into the government building, located in central Barcelona, to collect their belongings as long as they were accompanied by an officer from the regional security forces, the Mossos d'Esquadra.
The Mossos have also been ordered to report any cases of sacked officials refusing to leave the premises to a judge.
Tensions between Barcelona and Madrid came to a head on Friday when the Catalan parliament passed a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, prompting a swift response from the Spanish government, which triggered Article 155 of the Constitution and stripped the affluent northeastern region of its autonomy.
As part of the measure, the former president Carles Puigdemont and his entire cabinet were removed from their posts, the parliament was dissolved and fresh local elections were slated for Dec. 21.
In a brief press conference the following day, Puigdemont vowed to continue working towards Catalan secession in defiance of Madrid's direct-rule.
Catalonia staged an independence referendum on Oct. 1 which was ruled illegal by the Spanish state.
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