Protesters fought in the Catalan capital and clashed with the security forces.
A Cabinet meeting of the Spanish central government in Barcelona has been overshadowed by violent protests. Militant demonstrators fought in the Catalan capital on Friday clashes with the security forces, as AFP journalists reported. More than 60 people were injured, according to authorities.
Proponents of an independent Catalonia considered the Cabinet meeting in Barcelona a “provocation”. In the evening tens of thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully through the city center.
With the transfer of the weekly Cabinet meeting to Barcelona the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wanted in his view set a sign of de-escalation in the Catalonia conflict. But in the regional capital, he met with widespread rejection.
Several associations of pro-independence activists, including the influential Catalan National Assembly (ANC), mobilized their supporters in protests against the central government. Some of the rallies turned violent. Protesters attacked the Catalan police Mossos d’Esquadra with stones, metal parts, bottles and firecrackers. According to the regional authorities, 62 people were injured, including 35 policemen. 13 protesters were arrested.