Spain’s national civil aviation authority on Friday closed Barcelona’s airspace for helicopters and light aircraft until October 2, ahead of the independence referendum in Catalonia, local media reported.
According to El Mundo newspaper citing sources, the restrictions aim to prohibit "visual operations," making it impossible to take aerial pictures of possible demonstrations, Sputnik reported.
Spanish authorities continue to take measures to prevent the vote. The day before Spain's Civil Guard on Thursday seized 100 ballot boxes and 2.5 million ballots prepared for the Catalan independence referendum, which the Spanish government does not recognize.
Almost 10 million ballots were seized last week, although the whole population of Catalonia is a little more than 7.5 million, including those who are not eligible to vote.
The Spanish federal government has filed a complaint with the country's Constitutional Court over the Catalan government and parliament approving the law on the referendum. The court has taken the complaint under review, thus suspending the Catalan law and making all further preparations for the referendum illegal, but the supporters of the vote have not ceased their activities.