At Least 14 People Detained During Thursday Protests In Support Of Jailed Rapper In Spain

MADRID (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2021) At least 14 people were detained during the Thursday protests in support of jailed rapper Pablo Hasel across Spain, a Sputnik correspondent reported citing recent data.

The protests resulted in riots in Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, Sabadell and Valencia.

Six people were detained in Barcelona, according to the Catalan law enforcement bodies, Mossos de Escuadra. Eight more people have been detained in Valencia, the Periodico newspaper reported.

Several people, including two law enforcement officers, were injured during the riots.

Some protesters built barricades and set them on fire, broke shop windows, pulled out road signs, threw stones and bottles at law enforcement officers.

In Barcelona, police resorted to rubber bullets and batons.

The Catalan singer was sentenced in 2018 to nine months in prison for glorifying terrorism and slandering the Spanish monarchy on Twitter and through the lyrics of his songs. Hasel was supposed to voluntarily come to prison last Friday but he refused to do so. On Tuesday, the rapper was arrested.

The rapper's jailing caused a public outcry and debates about the freedom of speech. Hundreds of artists, including Javier Bardem and Pedro Almodovar, signed a petition against the imprisonment.