The Catalan daily “La Vanguardia” reports that protesters in Barcelona clashed with the police. They threw all kinds of objects and also set off flares. A nearby Burger King restaurant was seriously damaged. Demonstrators also began to erect barricades. Finally, the police dispersed them with pepper spray. At least one person was arrested.
The most frequently repeated shouts included harsh, anti-Israel slogans, including: “Israel is not a country, it is an occupation” or “Israel is a murderer, Europe is a sponsor”. The rally was attended by schoolchildren, students and entire families, as well as representatives of various associations and parties. Barcelona police estimate that there were up to 15,000 pro-Palestinian protesters.
Demonstrations also took place in other cities, including: in Madrid, Valencia or Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Thousands of students marched in as many as 40 locations under the slogan “let's do everything to stop genocide.”
A representative of one of the trade unions said that the purpose of the mobilization was to demand that “Israel's genocide does not go unpunished.” Another union condemned the use of gas by the police.
