Riots in Barcelona: Around 100 arrests during protests

Catalonia

Riots in Barcelona: Around 100 arrests during protests

Hundreds of young people gather in the center of the Catalan capital to protest. Some riot and loot shops. The exact aim of the protests is unclear.

In Barcelona According to reports, hundreds of teenagers and young adults came together to protest, and some rioted. The young people damaged street furniture, bicycles and motorbikes, looted shops and set garbage containers on fire, reported the Spanish daily newspaper “El País” and the Catalan television station Betevé, among others.

The Catalan police and the municipal police in the capital of Catalonia arrested around 100 demonstrators. About a quarter of those arrested were minors. According to information, more than 220 officers were deployed to bring the situation under control.

According to reports, the young people responded to a call on social media for an unannounced demonstration in the city center. The riots began around 6 p.m. and continued through the night. The exact aim of the protests was therefore unclear.

The Prime Minister of the wealthy region in northeastern Spain, Salvador Illa, condemned the acts of violence: “Violence has… Catalonia no place. Never. Protesting is a democratic right. Attacks, intimidation and property damage are not,” he said, according to El País.

The mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, said at a press conference late in the evening: “We will not allow what happened to go unpunished.” There will be consequences, both for adult participants in the acts of violence and for those responsible for the minors. “We will not allow the city to be devastated.” Collboni spoke of “unprovoked violence and vandalism.”

There were renewed protests with violent incidents and clashes with the police in French and Italian cities on Saturday. The participants’ demands were diverse. Among other things, demonstrators complained about the high cost of living.