This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
Violent clashes erupted between protesters and police in Barcelona on Wednesday night, ahead of a highly anticipated football match between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
According to emergency services, 46 people were injured and five arrested during the pro-Catalonian independence protests, with eight people taken to hospital for further care.
The protests, which were called by the secretive Catalan protest group Democratic Tsunami, turned violent near Camp Nou stadium, with masked protesters setting bins on fire and throwing rocks and glass bottles at police.
Police responded with foam bullets, and demonstrators rocked a police van and took down street signs that they added to the barricade.
The protests were sparked by the jailing of nine Catalan separatist leaders in October, who were sentenced for their role in a failed 2017 bid for independence.
Wednesday night's La Liga game had initially been scheduled to take place in October, but was postponed due to security concerns amid the unrest in the wealthy northeastern region.
Despite a heavy police presence, some of the protestors blocked a major avenue near the stadium, disrupting traffic ahead of the game.
