THERE was fury in Catalonia yesterday after 500 Guardia Civil officers – acting for Spain’s National Court in Madrid – carried out a series of early-morning raids in towns near Barcelona and arrested nine pro-independence activists.

According to the public prosecutor, those arrested were accused of plotting “terrorist” acts in the coming weeks, as members of “a Catalan secessionist terrorist group”.

Those detained were thought to have links with the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDRs) a network of pro-indy assemblies set up in 2017 to defend attempts to split from Spain by promoting peaceful protests. They were also accused of rebellion, terrorism and being in possession of explosives.

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Spain’s government delegate in Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera, said: “It’s a judicial operation. Guardia Civil police are following orders from judges to prevent crimes.”

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, acting Spanish interior minister, would not rule out deploying extra police in Catalonia “to guarantee security”.

However, there was outrage among pro-indy politicians at the action and claims that the raids were timed to move the focus from the verdicts in the Catalan independence trial, which are anticipated shortly.

Catalan President Quim Torra reacted on Twitter, writing: “Repression continues to be the only response from Spain.

“They are trying to construct a violent narrative again in the run-up to the verdict [of the jailed leaders’ trial]. They won’t succeed. The independence movement is and will always be peaceful.”

The CDR organisation said: “No matter how many indiscriminate raids and arbitrary detentions there are, they won’t stop a determined and combative people.”

Those arrested are expected to appear at the National Court in the next few days.

Pro-indy parties with MPs in the Madrid congress, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Together for Catalonia (JxCat) called for the Spanish home affairs ministry to give an explanation to the lower chamber.

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JxCat’s spokesperson, Laura Borràs, said: “This is an opaque and criminalising operation against the independence movement.”

“They firstly arrest, and then investigate? We want an explanation.”

ERC’s leader in Madrid, Gabriel Rufián, said: “We live in a country where people are arrested in the early hours in order to look for evidence against them.

“I mention this because in democracy it works the other way round.”

CDR local groups yesterday called rallies to protest that Catalan citizens’ “fundamental rights” were again at stake. They were supported by the far-left CUP.

Eulàlia Reguant, a CUP former MP said, it was no coincidence that the raids came perhaps just a few days before the potential guilty verdicts for the jailed pro-indy leaders, which could prompt large-scale protests.

She said: “They look to terrify people and make people stay at home due to the criminalisation of protest.”

Criticism of the operation also came from the pro-referendum party Catalunya en Comú (Catalonia in Common).

Jaume Asens, its MP in Madrid, said the Spanish police actions created “tension and social alarm for no reason”.

He said: “We are concerned because we know how these operations with big publicity and social alarm usually end up: they fizzle out.”

Asens recalled the cases of two activists accused of terrorism last year, one of whom, Adrià Carrasco, went into exile, and the other, Tamara Carrasco, was arrested before charges against both were dropped.