Barcelona independence poll scores 18 percent turnout

Barcelona closed a four-month rolling independence survey on Sunday, which attracted a minority turnout of 18 percent of citizens.

The yes vote won close to 90 percent of the 250,000 ballots cast in the poll, which has no legal bearing. Close to nine percent voted against separation from the Spanish state in the survey organized by promoter Barcelona Decideix.

"We have made history. Barcelona has voted in favour of independence for Catalonia," declared Decideix spokesman Alfred Bosch on Sunday. His triumphant tone owes to the fact that his poll attracted a higher turnout than the 12 percent garnered in a previous City Hall poll, although it still represents an average participation across Catalonia.

Some 7,000 pro-independence volunteers worked to organize the consultation in the Catalan region. Activists periodically undertake polls of this kind to gauge public support for independence, because official autonomy referendums are banned by central government.