<p>Barcelona star Gerard Pique’s tears of sadness and the vast empty stands as his team reluctantly played were two of the defining images of a violence-scarred independence referendum in Catalonia.<br /><br />Pique had been able to cast his vote in an independence referendum deemed illegal by Madrid without obstruction on Sunday morning.<br /><br />“I am very proud of Catalonia and all its people,” an emotional Pique told reporters as tears welled up in his eyes after a routine 3-0 win over Las Palmas.<br /><br />Barca to join strike<br /><br />Barcelona will join a strike on Tuesday in protest at a violent crackdown by police of an independence referendum.<br /><br />“FC Barcelona joins the country wide strike called for by Table for Democracy and therefore the club will be closed tomorrow,” Barca said.<br /><br />“Today the board of directors has accepted the resignations of vice-president Carles Vilarrubi and the commissioner of the Barca Innovation Hub, Jordi Mones,” Presdient Josep Maria Bartomeu added.</p>
<p>Barcelona star Gerard Pique’s tears of sadness and the vast empty stands as his team reluctantly played were two of the defining images of a violence-scarred independence referendum in Catalonia.<br /><br />Pique had been able to cast his vote in an independence referendum deemed illegal by Madrid without obstruction on Sunday morning.<br /><br />“I am very proud of Catalonia and all its people,” an emotional Pique told reporters as tears welled up in his eyes after a routine 3-0 win over Las Palmas.<br /><br />Barca to join strike<br /><br />Barcelona will join a strike on Tuesday in protest at a violent crackdown by police of an independence referendum.<br /><br />“FC Barcelona joins the country wide strike called for by Table for Democracy and therefore the club will be closed tomorrow,” Barca said.<br /><br />“Today the board of directors has accepted the resignations of vice-president Carles Vilarrubi and the commissioner of the Barca Innovation Hub, Jordi Mones,” Presdient Josep Maria Bartomeu added.</p>