Members of the Catalan regional parliament have voted for independence from Madrid Friday afternoon. The motion declaring independence was approved with 70 in favour, 10 against, and two abstentions in the 135-seat chamber.

Thousands of people gathered near the parliament in Barcelona in cheers as the news was announced.

Footage shows Spanish flag taken down from Catalan Government building in Girona.

Responding to the news, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for calm and said the rule of law would be restored in the autonomous region. "What the parliament approved isn't just illegal, it's a criminal act," he said.

Soon after the vote at the regional parliament, the Senate - Spain's upper house - made the unprecedented step of approving measures allowing the Spanish government to impose direct rule over Catalonia, the BBC reported.

According to BNO News, lawmakers in Madrid voted overwhelmingly in favor of Article 155 of the Constitution to transfer powers from Catalonia to Madrid. Article 155, often referred to as Spain's "nuclear option," had never been used before.

Article 155 allows for the removal of the Catalan Regional Premier Carles Puigdemont and his government and the dissolution of the regional parliament. Many important ministries and institutions’ authority will also be handed over to Madrid.

Spain's cabinet is due to hold an emergency meeting at 7 p.m., though it's unclear which steps Madrid plans to take to impose direct rule in Catalonia.

The flags of Spain and the EU have been taken down at city hall in Sabadell, one of the largest cities in Catalonia.