Catalonia holds disputed vote on independence

CATALONIA, Nov 9 (Reuters):  The people of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain are voting in an informal poll on independence.
The Spanish judiciary has ruled the vote unconstitutional but Catalan leader Artur Mar warned against any attempt to disrupt it.
Spain's constitutional court suspended earlier plans for a referendum on secession.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the vote would have no effect and urged the region to return to "sanity".
Voters will be asked whether they want a Catalan state and whether that state should be independent.
'Attack on democracy'
Catalonia is a wealthy a region of 7.5 million people and contributes more to the Spanish economy than it gets back through central government funds. Economic and cultural grievances have fuelled Catalan nationalism.
The BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris says many Catalans have always felt that they do not quite fit in a unitary state. He says there is a long history of support for winning independence from Spain, or at least much greater autonomy within it.
This week, the Constitutional Court demanded the vote be suspended. But Catalonia's government insisted it went ahead, organised by volunteers and with no official electoral roll.