About the referendum it is indeed ilegal, as anyone that knows spanish law and constitution do inmediately realize. It was the Judges and not the government who sent the police to seize the ballot boxes.
Such laws are bull shit. Referendum for independence should be every Earthing right. And specially every Europeans right. Europe dont exist without it. It is simple as that. Countries that dont care of their citizens rights have nothing to do in Europe.
Ok, so I can go and do a "referendum" with a bunch of my friends and decide, for example, that we are not going to pay any taxes anymore?
Can now Barcelona go a do a "referendum" and secede from catalonia? Can Girona?
Maybe they can.... is it legal? No. Do they have the right? No. Should they have that right? I don't think so, but it is of course opinable.
That said... I don't think any country would let me independence from it (and not pay taxes) while leaving inside its territory. Also, it would probably a chaos if it were possible because..... who the fuck wouldn't independece then? Who would pay taxes? Who would build roads, hospitals or anything?
I don't think it is that simple as saying that there's absolutely no limits to freedom.
P.S.: If anyone knows of a country where that is possible (and living is GOOD), just tell me. I can relocate
If the colonists of the New World had thought that same way, there would be no United States of America.
Just sayin'.
But I don't live there where you live, so I can't judge. I'm sure the Spanish people will figure it out eventually.
Also, think about Bitcoin. Do the people have the "right" to create and use their own form of private money outside their government(s)? Granted by whom?