Police in Catalonia hunt for hidden ballot boxes in bid to foil referendumMADRID (Reuters) - Armed police in Spain have raided several print works and newspaper offices in Catalonia in recent days in a hunt for voting papers, ballot boxes and leaflets to be used in an Oct. 1 independence referendum which Madrid vehemently opposes. The searches are part of a concerted effort by the government to prevent the ballot from going ahead, amid fears that a vote to break away could trigger a political crisis even if Spain does not recognize the outcome. On Friday, the government passed measures to tighten control over the region s spending to stop it using state cash to pay for the ballot, and earlier this week Madrid summoned over 700 Catalan mayors for questioning over their support for the vote.  They ve lost the plot,  said Albert Batet, mayor of the town of Valls and one of those summoned for questioning.  They are persecuting mayors, the press, printers. They are stretching the limits of democracy.  Catalonia s president Carles Puigdemont, who faces criminal charges for organizing the referendum, says he has over 6,000 ballot boxes ready to deploy next month, but their whereabouts are a secret.  Right now, we have no idea where they are,  said Toni Castejon, spokesman for the Catalan police force union. A spokesman for the Catalan regional government declined to say where the ballot boxes were or how the government was going to get them out of hiding to voting stations on Oct. 1. On Friday, police confiscated 100,000 campaign leaflets in a raid in Catalonia, the Interior Ministry said, without saying where. Catalonia s top court issued a warning on Friday to seven newspapers, many of them online, not to publish campaign notices for the referendum, a court spokesman said on Saturday. At the offices of Catalan newspaper El Vallenc in Valls, some 50 km west of Barcelona, six armed police knocked on the door last Saturday with a warrant to search the offices, said its editor, Francesc Fabregas. The search lasted five-and-a-half hours.  They didn t say what they were looking for,  Fabregas told Reuters, adding that he had not printed any voting papers. The raid led to an impromptu crowd gathering outside the building, with people singing the Catalan anthem and waving slips of paper chanting  Where are the ballot papers? .  When people saw that the streets had been cut off they started coming over with banners, they handed out roses to the police - the street turned into a party,  said Fabregas. For some supporters of the independence movement, the search for the ballot boxes and voting papers has become a symbol of what they see as state repression. Images of the Catalan police force - the Mossos d Esquadra - seizing what for many are symbols of democracy would be highly inflammatory, police say. The Mossos report to the Catalan regional government and are highly regarded by Catalans, particularly after their handling of the Islamist militant attacks in the region in August that killed 16. But Spanish state prosecutors have ordered all police - including the Catalan force - to act.  What no one wants is the image of the Mossos taking away the ballot boxes,  said Castejon of the police union.  That would lead to a lot of anger and even civil unrest.  Madrid has the constitutional power to take over a regional government or send in the police to force Catalonia to drop the vote, but either step would rock Spain s decentralized model of government where power is devolved to 17 self-governed regions. Although polls show less than half of Catalonia s 5.5 million voters want self-rule, most in the wealthy northeastern region want the chance to vote on the issue, causing unease that is beginning to be felt in financial markets. The Budget Ministry said that uncertainty created by the stand-off could damage the economy and push up sovereign borrowing costs. Some investors sold Spanish government bonds and switched to Italian debt earlier this week. Puigdemont and Barcelona mayor Ada Colau on Friday appealed to the Spanish government for dialogue to avert a crisis. But Puigdemont has shown no signs of backing down.  Does anyone think we re not going to vote? What kind of people do they take us for?  he said to cheering crowds from a stage in a bull-ring in Tarragona to launch the referendum campaign on Thursday. worldnews
police catalunya hunt hidden ballot boxes bid foil referendummadrid reuters armed police spain raided several print works newspaper offices catalunya recent days hunt voting papers ballot boxes leaflets used independence referendum madrid vehemently opposes the searches part concerted effort government prevent ballot going ahead amid fears vote break away could trigger political crisis even spain recognize outcome on friday government passed measures tighten control region spending stop using state cash pay ballot earlier week madrid summoned catalan mayors questioning support vote they lost plot said albert bates mayor town calls one summoned questioning they persecution mayors press printers they stretching limits democracy catalunya president charles puigdemont faces criminal charges organizing referendum says ballot boxes ready deploy next month whereabouts secret right idea said toni castejon spokesman catalan police force union a spokesman catalan regional government declined say ballot boxes government going get hiding voting stations on friday police confiscated campaign leaflets raid catalunya interior ministry said without saying catalunya top court issued warning friday seven newspapers many online publish campaign notices referendum court spokesman said saturday at offices catalan newspaper el valley calls km west barcelona six armed police knocked door last saturday warrant search offices said editor frances bregas the search lasted hours they say looking bregas told reuters adding printed voting papers the raid led impromptu crowd gathering outside building people singing catalan anthem waving slips paper chanting where ballot papers when people saw streets cut started coming banners handed roses police street turned party said bregas for supporters independence movement search ballot boxes voting papers become symbol see state repression images catalan police force mosses squadra seizing many symbols democracy would highly inflammatory police say the mosses report catalan regional government highly regarded catalan particularly handling islamic militant attacks region august killed but spanish state prosecutors ordered police including catalan force act what one wants image mosses taking away ballot boxes said castejon police union that would lead lot anger even civil unrest madrid constitutional power take regional government send police force catalunya drop vote either step would rock spain decentralized model government power devolved regions although polls show less half catalunya million voters want wealthy northeastern region want chance vote issue causing uneasy beginning felt financial markets the budget ministry said uncertainty created could damage economy push sovereign borrowing costs some investors sold spanish government bonds switched italian debt earlier week puigdemont barcelona mayor ada cola friday appealed spanish government dialogue avert crisis but puigdemont shown signs backing does anyone think going vote what kind people take us said cheering crowds stage tarragona launch referendum campaign thursday worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Police in Catalonia hunt for hidden ballot boxes in bid to foil referendumMADRID (Reuters) - Armed police in Spain have raided several print works and newspaper offices in Catalonia in recent days in a hunt for voting papers, ballot boxes and leaflets to be used in an Oct. 1 independence referendum which Madrid vehemently opposes. The searches are part of a concerted effort by the government to prevent the ballot from going ahead, amid fears that a vote to break away could trigger a political crisis even if Spain does not recognize the outcome. On Friday, the government passed measures to tighten control over the region s spending to stop it using state cash to pay for the ballot, and earlier this week Madrid summoned over 700 Catalan mayors for questioning over their support for the vote.  They ve lost the plot,  said Albert Batet, mayor of the town of Valls and one of those summoned for questioning.  They are persecuting mayors, the press, printers. They are stretching the limits of democracy.  Catalonia s president Carles Puigdemont, who faces criminal charges for organizing the referendum, says he has over 6,000 ballot boxes ready to deploy next month, but their whereabouts are a secret.  Right now, we have no idea where they are,  said Toni Castejon, spokesman for the Catalan police force union. A spokesman for the Catalan regional government declined to say where the ballot boxes were or how the government was going to get them out of hiding to voting stations on Oct. 1. On Friday, police confiscated 100,000 campaign leaflets in a raid in Catalonia, the Interior Ministry said, without saying where. Catalonia s top court issued a warning on Friday to seven newspapers, many of them online, not to publish campaign notices for the referendum, a court spokesman said on Saturday. At the offices of Catalan newspaper El Vallenc in Valls, some 50 km west of Barcelona, six armed police knocked on the door last Saturday with a warrant to search the offices, said its editor, Francesc Fabregas. The search lasted five-and-a-half hours.  They didn t say what they were looking for,  Fabregas told Reuters, adding that he had not printed any voting papers. The raid led to an impromptu crowd gathering outside the building, with people singing the Catalan anthem and waving slips of paper chanting  Where are the ballot papers? .  When people saw that the streets had been cut off they started coming over with banners, they handed out roses to the police - the street turned into a party,  said Fabregas. For some supporters of the independence movement, the search for the ballot boxes and voting papers has become a symbol of what they see as state repression. Images of the Catalan police force - the Mossos d Esquadra - seizing what for many are symbols of democracy would be highly inflammatory, police say. The Mossos report to the Catalan regional government and are highly regarded by Catalans, particularly after their handling of the Islamist militant attacks in the region in August that killed 16. But Spanish state prosecutors have ordered all police - including the Catalan force - to act.  What no one wants is the image of the Mossos taking away the ballot boxes,  said Castejon of the police union.  That would lead to a lot of anger and even civil unrest.  Madrid has the constitutional power to take over a regional government or send in the police to force Catalonia to drop the vote, but either step would rock Spain s decentralized model of government where power is devolved to 17 self-governed regions. Although polls show less than half of Catalonia s 5.5 million voters want self-rule, most in the wealthy northeastern region want the chance to vote on the issue, causing unease that is beginning to be felt in financial markets. The Budget Ministry said that uncertainty created by the stand-off could damage the economy and push up sovereign borrowing costs. Some investors sold Spanish government bonds and switched to Italian debt earlier this week. Puigdemont and Barcelona mayor Ada Colau on Friday appealed to the Spanish government for dialogue to avert a crisis. But Puigdemont has shown no signs of backing down.  Does anyone think we re not going to vote? What kind of people do they take us for?  he said to cheering crowds from a stage in a bull-ring in Tarragona to launch the referendum campaign on Thursday. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: police catalunya hunt hidden ballot boxes bid foil referendummadrid reuters armed police spain raided several print works newspaper offices catalunya recent days hunt voting papers ballot boxes leaflets used independence referendum madrid vehemently opposes the searches part concerted effort government prevent ballot going ahead amid fears vote break away could trigger political crisis even spain recognize outcome on friday government passed measures tighten control region spending stop using state cash pay ballot earlier week madrid summoned catalan mayors questioning support vote they lost plot said albert bates mayor town calls one summoned questioning they persecution mayors press printers they stretching limits democracy catalunya president charles puigdemont faces criminal charges organizing referendum says ballot boxes ready deploy next month whereabouts secret right idea said toni castejon spokesman catalan police force union a spokesman catalan regional government declined say ballot boxes government going get hiding voting stations on friday police confiscated campaign leaflets raid catalunya interior ministry said without saying catalunya top court issued warning friday seven newspapers many online publish campaign notices referendum court spokesman said saturday at offices catalan newspaper el valley calls km west barcelona six armed police knocked door last saturday warrant search offices said editor frances bregas the search lasted hours they say looking bregas told reuters adding printed voting papers the raid led impromptu crowd gathering outside building people singing catalan anthem waving slips paper chanting where ballot papers when people saw streets cut started coming banners handed roses police street turned party said bregas for supporters independence movement search ballot boxes voting papers become symbol see state repression images catalan police force mosses squadra seizing many symbols democracy would highly inflammatory police say the mosses report catalan regional government highly regarded catalan particularly handling islamic militant attacks region august killed but spanish state prosecutors ordered police including catalan force act what one wants image mosses taking away ballot boxes said castejon police union that would lead lot anger even civil unrest madrid constitutional power take regional government send police force catalunya drop vote either step would rock spain decentralized model government power devolved regions although polls show less half catalunya million voters want wealthy northeastern region want chance vote issue causing uneasy beginning felt financial markets the budget ministry said uncertainty created could damage economy push sovereign borrowing costs some investors sold spanish government bonds switched italian debt earlier week puigdemont barcelona mayor ada cola friday appealed spanish government dialogue avert crisis but puigdemont shown signs backing does anyone think going vote what kind people take us said cheering crowds stage tarragona launch referendum campaign thursday worldnews