Feb 21, 2021 / 12:29 PM EST
(CNN) Angry protesters have now gathered in multiple Spanish cities for five consecutive nights, demonstrating over the dramatic arrest of rapper Pablo Hasel earlier in the week.
Thousands gathered in Barcelona on Saturday, including families and elderly protesters at the city’s Plaça Universitat, where a rally began peacefully.
After passing another square, called Plaça Urquinaona, police began beating protesters, Berta Galofré Pons, a 23-year-old political scientist, told CNN. Footage from the Barcelona protests on Saturday shows multiple scuffles between demonstrators and police.
Mossos d’Esquadra the Catalan police force said in a tweet that they rerouted the protests and that a group of demonstrators split from the main crowd, attacking the Barcelona stock exchange before vandalizing and looting shops.
Violent protests over rapper s arrest and accusations of police brutality rock Catalonia for fifth day abc17news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc17news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Spain: Protests erupt across country after rapper s arrest
Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel s arrest has sparked protests in major cities, with critics calling his prosecution an assault on free speech. The artist was convicted for insulting the monarchy and glorifying terrorism.
Thousands of people rallied in Barcelona waving banners and placards that said: Freedom for Pablo Hasel.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Spanish cities on Tuesday evening demanding the release of a rapper arrested by police over a series of tweets in a controversial free speech case.
Police in riot gear stormed a university 150 kilometers (90 miles) west of Barcelona on Tuesday morning and arrested rapper Pablo Hasel, who had barricaded himself inside the campus to avoid jail.
The Golden Mile: What does the future hold for Auckland s Queen Street?
5 Feb, 2021 04:00 PM
16 minutes to read
The pocket park proposed for the junction of Fort St and Queen St in downtown Auckland. Image / LandLAB
The pocket park proposed for the junction of Fort St and Queen St in downtown Auckland. Image / LandLAB
Queen St has suffered a double whammy of crushing Covid consequences and the wait for the City Rail Link. There are now 40 empty stores in what was once the country s busiest retail area. Is the Golden Mile losing its lustre? And why are planned upgrades taking so long? Cherie Howie investigates