Violence erupted in Barcelona after Catalan separatists threw paint and shots at the police, who reacted by using batons to hold them back.
The separatists had rallied to protest another march by the Spanish police demanding a better salary.
The separatists threw paint on the police, covering riot shields, police vans and the sidewalk in a downtown square in a multitude of bright colors.
Catalan police officers, Mossos D'Esquadra, covered with paint, stand guard after clashing with separatist protesters during a counter-demonstration against a demonstration of support for the Spanish police (photo: AFP / Getty)
Police, covered with paint, secure the area after clashes with separatist demonstrators during a counter-demonstration (Photo: AFP / Getty)
They used truncheons to try to suppress the crowd (Photo: AFP / Getty)
A pro-independence protester burns a poster with the portrait of the Spanish king Felipe IV (Photo: AP)
The officers responded with batons to hold them back.
A little earlier, local Catalan police intervened to form a barrier when a separatist threw purple paint on a man who was part of the march of about 100 people in favor of the Spanish police.
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Officers used batons to fend off oncoming separatists and separate opposing groups.
Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau said: "I call for calm, this city has always defended that everyone can exercise their right to freedom of expression."
Monday will be the anniversary of the illegal referendum on independence (Photo: AP)
Shots were also thrown at the police (Photo: EPA)
A little earlier, the local Catalan police intervened to form a barrier when a separatist threw purple paint on a man who was participating in the march of a hundred people in support of the Spanish police ( photo: Reuters)
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau said: "I call for calm, this city has always defended that everyone can exercise their right to freedom of speech" (Photo: AFP / Getty)
The separatists occupied a square in downtown Barcelona, where many spent the previous night, to force the regional government to change the course of the march of supporters of the Spanish police (photo: AFP / Getty)
The separatists filled a square in downtown Barcelona, many of whom had gone the night before, to force the regional government to change the course of the march of supporters of the Spanish police.
Tensions are high in northeastern Spain, in Catalonia, before Monday's anniversary of an illegal referendum on independence organized by regional lawmakers.
The referendum was tainted when Spanish National Police and Civil Guard agents clashed with voters, wounding hundreds of people.
Tensions are high in northeastern Spain, in Catalonia, before Monday's anniversary of an illegal referendum on independence organized by regional lawmakers (Photo: AP)
The referendum was marred when agents of the Spanish National Police and the Civil Guard clashed with voters, injuring hundreds of people (Photo: Reuters)
Catalan riot police officers are blown away by paint bags thrown by pro-independence activists (Photo: Matthias Oesterle / Alamy Live News)
Catalan policemen encircle the street to prevent independent protesters from reaching the meeting with protesters and supporters of the National Police and the Guardia Civil (Photo: AP)
Two weeks ago, the police had to intervene to separate two separate meetings of Catalan separatists and Spanish trade unionists in Barcelona, the capital of the region (Photo: AP)
Two weeks ago, the police had to intervene to separate two separate gatherings of Catalan separatists and Spanish trade unionists in Barcelona, the capital of the region.
The Catalan government led by the separatists is asking the central Spanish authorities to authorize a binding vote on secession.
Polls and recent elections show that the 7.5 million people in the region are about equally divided by the issue of secession.
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