About 100 Detained in Barcelona Protest Unrest, Nearly 1,000 in France
Riots broke out at an unauthorised, youth-heavy demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday, and police detained about 100 people. Protests in France also turned into clashes, with nearly 1,000 people detained nationwide.
Protests in the Spanish city of Barcelona, in the Catalonia region, turned violent on Saturday, and police detained about 100 people, Spanish media report. Most participants were young people. The aim of the demonstration was initially unclear, while similar protests the same day in France led to an even higher number of detentions.
Unrest in Barcelona
According to media reports, people gathered in response to calls on social media to hold an unauthorised demonstration in the city centre. The disorder began at around 6 p.m. and continued into the night. Protesters vandalised property, looted shops and set rubbish bins on fire.
More than 220 police officers were deployed to restore order. Data from the Spanish newspaper El País and the Catalan television channel Betevé indicate that about a quarter of those detained were minors.
The president of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, condemned the violence. He stressed that protest is a democratic right, but that there is no justification for attacks, intimidation or damage to property. Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni condemned the vandalism and warned that those responsible would face consequences.
Situation in France
On Saturday, protests in several places in France also escalated into clashes with police. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people had been detained across the country. At midday the number of detainees was 135, but it rose sharply as demonstrations continued.
The French Interior Ministry estimated that around 410,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide, including 110,000 in Paris. Trade unions say the number of protesters was considerably higher.
Many marches in France passed peacefully, but clashes between demonstrators and police occurred in several cities. The minister also reported two people seriously injured, in Clermont-Ferrand and Toulouse.
