The Spanish government is determined to stop the referendum, but firefighters and farmers have vowed to defend polling stations.

More than 60% of voters are expected to take part in Catalonia's independence referendum despite efforts to stop the vote, the region's vice president has said.

Oriol Junqueras has vowed Catalan voters are ready to vote on Sunday "even if someone takes ballot stations by assault and tries to avoid one thing as natural as inserting a ballot sneak in a ballot".

His remarks came despite a warning by the Spanish government that the disputed ballot won't act, with Catalan officers told they're going to "face consequences" if they press ahead.

Spain's Constitution says solely the nation's government will decision a vote on sovereignty, and also the vote had been suspended by the country's Constitutional Court.

Police forces performing on judges' orders have confiscate ballots associated in remission regional officers in an new crushing.

Opinion polls show Catalans ar split on the problem of independence, however an oversized majority wish to take a legitimate vote to settle the matter.

A parade of farmers' tractors draped in pro-independence flags rolled into Barcelona on Friday in support of the vote and drove slowly towards the regional government's headquarters.

Catalonia's regional law, the Mossos d'Esquadra, have warned of the danger of the "disruption of public order" if they fight to forestall individuals from casting ballots.

But Spain's interior ministry, that is co-ordinating the safety operation for the vote, insists Catalan police should take action.

In case they resist, national capital has sent thousands of additional cops from alternative forces to territory to assist suppress the vote it regards as felonious.

EU officers have rejected out an invitation from the Catalan authorities to assist mediate the dispute with national capital.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has delineate the dispute as "a Spanish downside during which we are able to do very little. it is a downside of respecting Spanish laws that Spaniards ought to resolve".

He aforesaid the EU was supporting the Spanish government as a result of "on a legal level, capital of Spain is right".

The EU has warned that dominion are going to be ejected from the alignment if it declares independence - and it'd got to apply to rejoin during a prolonged method that any member state will veto.

Catalan officers say they're going to declare independence inside forty eight hours when saying the results if the affirmative facet wins.