Violence broke out in central Barcelona on Thursday night after a large demonstration for housing and decent wages, with 36 officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra (regional police) injured and 52 people detained, according to 3Cat, which reported on official statements from Catalan authorities (3Cat).
The protest, organised by the Sindicat de Llogateres, ended at 7pm when it reached Plaça de Catalunya, but clashes began as police moved to disperse remaining demonstrators. Officers used foam projectile launchers and made several charges against groups, mostly masked and dressed in black, who threw pyrotechnics, set bins on fire, and damaged shops along Passeig de Gràcia.
Núria Parlon, Catalonia’s interior minister, called the violence a “blemish” on an otherwise peaceful day and said it was caused by “a few violent individuals.” She stressed the police response was “measured” and stated that those responsible “will face the full weight of the law.”
Of the 52 detained, 16 were released on Thursday, seven under conditions banning them from attending protests. Most were adults, with an average age of 24. Two minors arrested had previous links to the activist group Blocus and had been ordered not to attend demonstrations.
Sílvia Catà, the chief commissioner of the Mossos, said 1,979 officers were deployed in Barcelona. Two shops were attacked with Molotov cocktails, and 42 small fires were recorded across the city. The Barcelona city council estimates bin fires caused €150,000 in damage, with 110 bins already replaced.
Residents near Plaça Universitat and Urquinaona threw water from balconies to stop fires spreading. Rain eventually extinguished most blazes.
Sources: 3Cat.
