Barcelona ends a night of riots with 13 arrests and 30 injured police officers

The clashes following the housing demonstration in Barcelona leave 13 arrested and 30 officers of the Mossos d'Esquadra lightly injured. Firefighters have extinguished 22 fires and 28 barricades have been counted in the city centre.

Monday night has resulted in a tally of 13 arrests and 30 officers of the Mossos d'Esquadra lightly injured in the centre of Barcelona. The riots extended until midnight and forced emergency services to intervene to extinguish the fires caused during the clashes.

The first confrontations began around 9:30 PM on Passeig de Gràcia and then moved to Plaça de Catalunya. Groups of hooded individuals attacked the police cordon with fire extinguishers, cobblestones, stones, sticks, knives, and bottles.

Despite warnings and deterrent maneuvers, the violent protesters continued to throw objects and gathered construction materials from nearby areas to La Rambla to assault the police forces.

The Brigada Mòbil (BRIMO) used projectile launchers to control the disturbances and disperse the more hostile groups. Some of the hooded individuals attempted to take refuge in the camp at Plaça de Catalunya to evade police action, although the strategy was unsuccessful.

A total of 28 barricades have been counted in the city centre. On Carrer Pelai, the protesters crossed construction materials in the roadway and set them on fire. In addition to urban furniture, the rioters burned containers, affecting some vehicles.

To extinguish the flames, the Mossos d'Esquadra deployed a protective operation. Several vehicles positioned themselves around the Bombers de Barcelona, which allowed for the safe extinguishing of 22 fires.

The housing march, which had gathered thousands of protesters to demand a freeze on rents and call for a general strike in November, ended up turning into riots. The provisional police report counts 13 arrests for public disorder: 12 adult males and one underage girl.

The 30 injured officers were treated for minor injuries caused by the assaults. The day was marked by tension and confrontations with security forces in the centre of the Catalan capital.