Protests in Barcelona enter fifth day, increase in violence intensity
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Hundreds of protesters fought police in the heart of Barcelona on Friday, setting up fiery barricades and hurling rocks at security forces on the fifth day of unrest following the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders.
The violence followed a largely peaceful demonstration which drew more than half a million people onto the streets of the Catalan capital to denounce the lengthy jail terms that have sent a shockwave through Spanish politics.
As night fell, masked youths blocked a broad boulevard close to the city’s police headquarters. Blazing obstacles and metal barriers were thrown up across other streets in one of Europe’s tourist hotspots and a branch of the Banco Santander bank was ransacked.
Police responded with repeated volleys of foam bullets, smoke grenades and tear gas, which covered the area in thick, choking smoke. A water canon roamed the area, its prime task being to douse the flames rather than chase off rioters.
Officials said there were clashes in at least four other towns and cities in Catalonia, Spain’s wealthiest region in the far northeast of the country, as the pro-independence anger showed no sign of abating.
