Catalan referendum: In pictures

Violence has broken out in Catalonia during a massive police operation to halt an independence referendum which Spain's constitutional court has suspended.

Emergency services have treated people who were injured when police smashed their way into polling stations to seize ballot boxes.

Warning: Some of the images below contain scenes of a violent nature

National riot police carried this woman away from a gathering outside a school in Barcelona

Spain's deputy prime minister said police had acted in a "proportionate" way

Hundreds of people queued to vote outside this school in Barcelona

Hundreds of people were injured, Barcelona's mayor said

A family in Girona embraces after voting

At least 12 police officers were injured in clashes

A witness in Barcelona sent this photo to the BBC's Tom Burridge - the man had been caught up in scuffles at a polling station

Officers from the Guardia Civil tried to prevent these people from voting in the referendum

FC Barcelona's match against Las Palmas took place behind closed doors after a last-minute decision

All pictures copyrighted