CATALONIA will declare independence from Spain in a matter of days, President Carles Puigdemont said last night.

In his first interview since Sunday’s referendum, Puigdemont told the BBC that his government would “act at the end of this week or the  beginning of next”.

When asked what he would do if Madrid was to intervene and take control of Catalonia’s government, Puigdemont said it would be “an error which changes everything”.

Puigdemont spoke after an extra-ordinary television address by Spain’s king, Felipe VI, who claimed the Catalan authorities had deliberately bent the law with their “irresponsible conduct”.

The king complained the independence referendum was “undemocratic”  and said that “the state needs to  ensure constitutional order and the rule of law in Catalonia.”

The National:

Felipe spoke out after tens of thousands of people joined in marches across the city of Barcelona in protest against the Spanish government’s  actions over the independence vote.

The king said that the bid by the authorities in Catalonia “undermined coexistence”. “Today, Catalan society is fractured and confronted,” Felipe said, referring to the political crisis as “very serious moments for our  democratic life”.

He said the state needs to ensure Spain’s constitutional order and the correct functioning of Catalan  institutions and rule of law.  Spain’s conservative government has said it will respond with “all  necessary measures” to counter the Catalan defiance. It is holding talks with national opposition leaders to try to find consensus on the response. Pro-independence groups and unions had initially called for strikes to be held yesterday in support of Catalan leaders pushing ahead with a declaration of independence.

But many other Catalans were also drawn to the streets following the crackdown on the referendum vote.

The main national unions, CCOO and UGT, rejected the strike but told workers to join protests.

In Barcelona’s Catalonia and  University squares, a sea of demonstrators waved flags, most of them Esteladas, but there were also several Spanish national flags. Among many banners displayed, one read “Stop violence, #CataloniaIsComing” and another one asked: “Where are you Europe?”

One of the biggest groups concentrated around the Spanish national police headquarters in Barcelona, where protesters called them  “occupying forces” and called for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to resign.

Earlier Barcelona’s football stars were among workers in Catalonia to down tools. The club said none of its professional or youth teams were training and the club base was closed.

Girona also did not train while Espanyol’s players exercised behind closed doors.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, one of the most outspoken supporters of Catalonia, was harassed by fans on Monday when he reported to Spain’s national team training camp in  Madrid before the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Several hundred Barcelona port workers held a demonstration outside  the regional headquarters of Spain’s ruling Popular Party chanting slogans  against government policies and  police brutality during Sunday’s vote.