THE Spanish Government’s former representative in Catalonia has told the 11th day of the trial of Catalan independence leaders that before the 2017 referendum there was a “climate of conflict” that endangered the “maintenance of the constitutional order”.

Enric Millo claimed at the Supreme Court in Madrid there were “violent and organised” actions before the poll, with judges and police officers the target of threats and persecution.

He added that there were peaceful demonstrations, but others with what he called “an obvious violent component”.

“There were groups that demonstrated peacefully and other groups that acted with clear violence, because throwing incendiary objects, this is not peaceful, it is violent ... some type of threats painted on the walls, against people, against me,” said Millo.

“There were peaceful demonstrations and there were others in which there was a clear violent component of aggression, harassment, launching of objects, attacks on people ... that, for me, as I understand it, shows they have an obvious violent component.”

Millo said protests organised by the local Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDRs) were not spontaneous.

“We have been able to verify that these committees are formed by people who have other goals and that they have no problem in using violence when it comes to developing their activities. And they are camouflaged.”

Catalan President Quim Torra was dismissive of Millo’s evidence, tweeting: “There are lies, there are falsehoods and then there are these statements of Mr Millo.”

The trial continues.