BARCELONA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2019) Radical supporters of Catalonia's secession from Spain rioted outside the parliament building in Barcelona, demanding independence, a Sputnik correspondent reported Wednesday.
More than a 100 people gathered outside the Catalan parliament, throwing smoke grenades and cans at the police. They also took down down barriers and burned the Spanish flag. Young people chanted "the streets will always be ours" and "independence" and shouted at officers.
The police called on the crowd to disperse, warning that otherwise they could use force against them. As a result, they cleared the front of the parliament, and detained at least one person.
Approximately 600,000 Catalans rallied for independence in Barcelona earlier in the day. It ended peacefully, however several hundred people continued their way to the parliament.
Catalonia declared independence in October 2017 after a referendum found that the majority of those who voted wanted a split from Spain. The turnout was less than 50 percent.
