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IN PICS: Barcelona protests turn violent

The Local Spain/AFP
The Local Spain/AFP - [email protected]
IN PICS: Barcelona protests turn violent

The streets of central Barcelona were left strewn with burnt-out debris on Saturday morning after the fifth day of protests descended into a pitched battle with police.

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After the Friday's massive but largely peaceful rally in Barcelona, the trouble started when a group of radical separatists began massing around the city's police headquarters.

Riot police responded by charging the protesters, and advancing on them to keep them at a safe distance. 

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Protesters were defiant, however, taunting police and soon after starting to use rubbish bins, street signs, and other street furniture to create a barricade. 

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Protesters set alight plastic bins. 

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

As the protests worsened, Spanish police responded increasingly heavy-handedly, charging protesters, and wielding batons to disperse them. According to the city's emergency services, about 152 people were injured during the clashes. 

Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

By the early evening, a pitched battle had broken out, with protesters huddling behind makeshift barricades, throwing stones and other objects at police. Some were photographed using catapults and flare guns. 

Police fired tear gas to try and disperse the crowd. 

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

Later in the evening, police sent in trucks with water cannons to disperse the crowd and put out some of the fires. 

Photo: Pau Barrena/AFP

By the time the protests had ended, the centre of the city was strewn with burnt out debris and broken barriers and street furniture.

Photo: Josep Lago/AFP

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