Thousands of Catalans were expected to protest Saturday afternoon after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced he would take control of Catalonia by invoking Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, weeks after the region's independence referendum.

Defying the majority of Catalan voters who approved of a split from Spain in Catalonia's independence referendum this month, Rajoy spoke at a press conference about his plans to transfer the power of the region's president, Carles Puigdemont, to the central government, and hold early elections in the next six months.

Forty percent of Catalonia's 5.5 eligible voters cast ballots in the referendum, despite a show of force by Spanish police that left nearly 900 people injured ahead of the October 1 vote.