Burns in Catalonia: more than 180 wounded and 80 arrests following the riots

Barcelona it's up this saturday with burnt smell and clear marks of the violence that was experienced last night at the end of the massive independence demonstration, when groups of hooded youths provoked riots that left more than 180 injured throughout the region.

Only in Barcelona, 152 people were injuredaccording to these sources. The other wounded were registered in Girona, Tarragona and Lleida.

In total, the police arrested 83 people in the region for acts of violence, said the Spanish Ministry of the Interior.

The center of Barcelona sank into chaos on Friday night with violent clashes between independent radicals and police, who fired rubber balls, thrown tear gas and first used a truck fire hydrant break the barricades.

Born out of the frustration of part of the independence base, two years after Catalonia's secession attempt in 2017, violence marks a turning point for the separatist movement, until then essentially pacifist .

The riots began on Monday when the Supreme Court sentenced nine independence leaders to up to 13 years in prison for their role in this failed attempt at secession.

That day, incidents occurred at Prat Airport, partially blocked by separatists. The following nights, the riots settled in the center of Barcelona.

"Barcelona does not deserve it"

Friday, after a day of peaceful general strike and a massive march in Barcelona with 525,000 protesters According to the municipal police, the violence reached its peak at dusk.

"It can not go on like this, Barcelona does not deserve it," said city mayor Ada Colau on Saturday in support of the organization of a referendum on the region's independence. .

The 7.5 million inhabitants of Catalonia are strongly Split against independence. According to a survey published in July by an institute dependent on the regional executive, 44% of Catalans committed to secession, compared to 48.3% who oppose it.