Catalonia halts publicity campaign for independence vote

Regional government spokesman Francesc Homs said Tuesday that heeding the court's ruling and stopping the independence campaign was done in order to "not put the backs of [Catalan public workers] against the wall." Nonetheless, Catalonia's government was "determined" to hold the referendum in the face of Spanish government opposition, he added.

The Constitutional Court on Monday agreed to suspend the November 9 referendum while it heard appeals from Madrid challenging the vote's legality.

Homs said the Catalan government would present arguments to the court in defense of the referendum, and seek to have the suspension lifted.

"We are in a context where nothing is done. Our goal is to continue and we will do things to fulfill our commitments in conformity with the law," he told reporters Tuesday. "We can't give the signal that we have given up."

Catalonia's government launched the publicity campaign after Catalan President Artur Mas signed a decree on Saturday calling for the independence vote.

The Constitutional Court's unanimous decision on Monday to suspend the referendum until judges make a decision extended also to the publicity campaign.

Supporters of secession called for demonstrations outside town halls on Tuesday to protest the court's ruling.

dr/jr (AP, AFP)