Violence flares in Spain as protests over jailing of rapper extend into fifth night
- The nine-month sentence of Pablo Hasel, known for his virulently anti-establishment raps, has sparked a debate over freedom of expression in Spain
- Demonstrators hurled projectiles and flares at police, who fired foam bullets to disperse the crowd
Protesters threw bottles at police, set fire to containers and smashed up shops in Barcelona on Saturday in the fifth night of clashes after a rapper was jailed for glorifying terrorism and insulting royalty in his songs.
The nine-month sentence of Pablo Hasel, known for his virulently anti-establishment raps, has sparked a debate over freedom of expression in Spain as well as protests which have at times turned violent.
Demonstrators hurled projectiles and flares at police, who fired foam bullets to disperse the crowd, the Mossos d’Esquadra, the Catalan regional police, said on Twitter.
About 6,000 demonstrators gathered in the Catalan city, local police said.
Protesters attacked shops on Barcelona’s most prestigious shopping street, Passeig de Gracia, while newspaper El País reported that others had smashed windows in the emblematic Palau de la Musica concert hall.
