Spain's King Felipe gestures as he make an statement at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, October 3, 2017. Casa de SM El Rey/Francisco Gomez Handout via REUTERS
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spain's King Felipe VI on Tuesday accused Catalan secessionist leaders of shattering democratic principles and dividing Catalan society, as thousands took to the streets to protest against a violent police crackdown against the banned independence referendum held on Sunday.
The televised speech, a rare intervention by the 49-year-old monarch who is normally silent on politics, was a sign of how deeply Spain has been shaken by the Catalan vote and a police crackdown that injured 900 people.
Celebrate Merdeka with 50% Off!
T&C applies.
![](https://cdn.thestar.com.my/Themes/img/sub_paywall_TSM.webp)