Barcelona Protests Turn Violent: Looting and Fires Hit Plaça de Catalunya

Anti-establishment protests in Barcelona escalated into violent clashes with police, looting, and fires around Plaça de Catalunya, leading to around 100 arrests and over 30 reported fires. The unrest began after hundreds of masked demonstrators gathered following a social media call under the slogan "against the system," inspired by French student protests. Police intervened as protesters threw stones, looted shops, and burned barricades, with 14 businesses vandalised and some people trapped in stores. Catalan authorities condemned the violence, with Barcelona's mayor warning of legal consequences and the regional president stating protest rights do not justify destruction. The incident occurred near a housing rights protest camp amid broader social tensions in the city.