Pro-Palestine protestors have set fires, smashed up shop windows and clashed with riot police as a demonstration in Barcelona turned violent.
The protest was part of a 24-hour walkout on Wednesday against "the genocide in Palestine" according to organisers - despite a ceasefire in place between Israel and Hamas.
In footage of the chaos posted on social media, vehicles were seen being set alight and pepper spray was deployed by the police as they desperately attempted to regain control of the streets.
Protesters blocked major roads in and out if Barcelona's commercial port and marched down the streets attacking stores which they claimed were “complicit in genocide”.
Pro-Palestine protesters set fires, smashed up shop windows and clashed with riot police
|REUTERS
The 24-hour strike coincided with the Israeli Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team playing in Barcelona.
Police were forced to push protesters back after they attempted to block the Israeli team bus from moving.
Crowds began to gather at around 4.45pm behind Barcelona's main train station, holding up banners reading "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!"
Activists then proceeded to sit on the road to block the bus from getting through, with chants of "they shall not pass" being shouted.
Riot police soon pushed them back with batons and used pepper spray to disperse the crowds.
Riot police soon pushed activists back with batons and used pepper spray to disperse the crowds
|REUTERS
Two demonstrators told Catalan News: "We were sitting on the ground, huddled together, and they lined up in front of us and started pushing toward us.
"They said twice: 'Come on, please, step back,' but after the 10-second warning they hit us with the pepper spray anyway.
"We were in the second row. There wasn’t even time to see that they were using pepper spray. We got it full on."
Despite the protests, Hapoel Jerusalem were able to reach the stadium and the basketball game went ahead as scheduled.
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As protesters moved away from the train station, they launched frenzied attacks on a McDonald's and a Burger King.
Rioters were seen throwing debris, smashing windows and setting off flares.
Local police have said the number of protesters who took to the streets was around 13,000, however organisers have claimed the figure was closer to 50,000.
The worst of the rioting took place outside of the Israeli consulate in the city, with large bins being set on fire and police desperately using batons on protesters who tried to get in to the building.
The worst of the rioting took place outside of the Israeli consulate in the city
|REUTERS
The chaos caused significant disruption to travel across the city, with trains, buses and metro services thrown into limbo.
Emergency services have confirmed they were forced to treat a number of protestors injured in the scuffles.
Local police said they made 15 arrests during the violent disorder.
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