Tension in Barcelona: Protesters threw bottles at police and called for Pablo Hasel’s release

Protesters threw objects at the police headquarters (Photo: AFP).

The city of Barcelona lived another night of incidents. In demand for the release of the rapper Pablo Hasel, the demonstrators clashed again with the Mossos d’Esquadra, at whom they threw stones and bottles, among other blunt objects. The unrest took place in front of the headquarters building of the superior police in Via Laietana, where the police dispersed the attackers.

// Another night of incidents in Barcelona for the arrest of rapper Pablo Hasel

As has happened in recent days, protests were developing peacefully on Sunday when a group of people pulled up in front of the establishment and started attacking the cordon of troops stationed nearby.

Hooded, the demonstrators blocked the street and placed a banner in front of the police vehicles. To the cry of “Liberty Pablo Hasél”, they threw containers, paving stones, glass bottles and even smoke bombs.

Faced with this situation, the agents advanced on the attackers and they managed to disperse the crowd using several force vans.

Previously, several hundred people also concentrated in front of Sants station, who was heavily guarded by riot police in Catalonia, to demand the release of the rapper.

According to local media, Sunday’s protests had less influx than those made since Tuesday, when Hasel was imprisoned.

// Incidents and destruction in Barcelona due to the arrest of rapper Pablo Hasel

After the artist’s arrest, the streets of the Spanish city became the scene of violent clashes between protesters and police, where they were seen barricades, burning vessels and multiple destruction.

The night of Saturdayincluding incidents looting clothing stores and damage to iconic buildings in Barcelona, ​​such as the Palacio de la Música.

Since Hasel’s arrest, a hundred people were arrested by the police in Barcelona and other cities like Madrid, according to what has been reported by the authorities.

The rapper, 32 and with a criminal record, was sentenced to nine months in prison for “glorifying terrorism” in tweets where describes King Juan Carlos I as a “gangster”, praised those involved in the attacks and accused the police of killing and torturing migrants and protesters.

After the spread of messages against the Spanish crown, the young man took refuge at the University of Lleida, in northeastern Spain, with dozens of followers to avoid going to jail. However, riot police arrested him shortly after.

// They arrested a rapper who tweeted against the kings of Spain

The arrest of the rapper fueled the debate over freedom of expression in Spain and deepened the differences within the government coalition, between the Socialists, President Pedro Sánchez, and the Podemos party (radical left), which defended events.