Four people have been arrested in Catalonia during another night of clashes between protesters and police following the release on Tuesday of Spanish rapper Pablo Hassel, police said today.
Two people were arrested in Barcelona and two others in Girona, Catalonia, while eight police officers were injured in the clashes, police said. Six people were slightly injured, a medical source said.
It was the fourth night of protests after the imprisonment of 32-year-old Pablo Hassel, who was sentenced to nine months in prison for a tweet he insulted the monarchy and the police, as well as for praising terrorism.
About 2,000 protesters gathered in Barcelona overnight, where riots erupted. Hooded men hurled stones, bottles at police and set fire to roadblocks set up with rubbish bins and restaurant chairs. A fire broke out in at least one restaurant, and banks and shops were vandalized, police said. In addition, shops were looted.
New demonstrations are expected today, with mobilizations planned in Barcelona, Madrid, Pamplona (north), Logronio (north) and Mallorca.
In all, nearly 100 people have been arrested since Tuesday and many more have been injured, including police officers and a young woman who lost her eye in Barcelona, possibly from a police plastic bullet.
