Crowds outside Ciutadella Park in Barcelona cheered in response to Catalonia’s parliament’s declaration of independence from Spain on Friday, October 27.

The Spanish Senate voted to grant full control of the autonomous region to central government on Friday in response to Catalonia’s move towards independence, powers granted under Article 155 of the Constitution. Later in the day, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that he dissolved the Catalan Parliament and that elections would be held in Catalonia on December 21. Credit: Instagram/Jordi Pech via Storyful