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MADRID: Spain’s Prime Minister on Saturday (October 31) condemned a series of violent protests in cities across the country against restrictions imposed to curb the rise of COVID-19 after a six-month state of emergency entered action this week.
Riot police fired blank bullets to try to disperse dozens of protesters who were setting fire to garbage containers on Madrid’s Gran Vía.
Meanwhile, protesters threw stones and other projectiles at police in Barcelona on a second night of rioting in Spain’s second-largest city.
In the city of Logroño, in northern Spain, about 150 people attacked police with stones, set fire to containers and looted shops, police said. Riot police were called in to quell riots in Haro, in the La Rioja wine region.
A man throws objects into the fire during a protest against the closure of bars and gyms, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Barcelona, Spain, on October 31, 2020. REUTERS / Nacho Doce
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, tweeted: “Only through responsibility, unity and sacrifice can we defeat the pandemic that is devastating all countries. The violent and irrational behavior of minority groups is intolerable. It is not the way.” .
On Friday, some 50 protesters attacked police with stones in Barcelona, set fire to garbage containers and looted shops. Fourteen people were arrested and 30 injured.
Earlier, local police said that around 1,500 hotel and restaurant workers participated in a peaceful demonstration against the restrictions imposed by the state of emergency that they say will threaten their jobs. All bars and restaurants have been closed in the Spanish region of Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, until November 13.
Police disperse protesters during a protest against the closure of bars and gyms, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Barcelona, Spain, on October 31, 2020. REUTERS / Nacho Doce
Similar alterations occurred in the cities of Burgos, Vitoria, Santander, Valencia and Zaragoza on Friday.
Spain, one of the countries most affected by COVID-19, imposed a state of emergency until the beginning of May this week, giving the regions legal support to decide curfews and restrict travel to try to stop the increase in coronavirus infections.
Like other European countries, Spain has resorted to increasingly drastic measures to curb infections, although less stringent than those adopted by Germany or France.
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