Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska
MADRID, Oct 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain’s acting interior minister said on Friday violent protesters in Catalonia could face up to six years in prison under Spanish law.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters there were clashes taking place around Barcelona’s police headquarters late Friday involving around 400 people in “organised groups” who faced “up to six years in prison under Spain’s penal code”.
Police in Catalonia have detained 97 protesters since unrest broke out on Monday sparked by the sentencing of separatist leaders, Fernando Grande-Marlaska said, saying there will be “no impunity”.
Speaking at a news conference after a government meeting on the situation, Grande-Marlaska said the Catalan regional government leadership had to more clearly condemn the violence after protesters set cars on fire and threw petrol bombs at police in Barcelona on Wednesday night, intensifying unrest.
He added that the government would put in place all necessary measures to guarantee security in Catalonia.
Earlier, he said Madrid would send more police to Catalonia both to guarantee security and to allow police already there to rest.
He said the Interior Ministry had given the go ahead for civil guard police reinforcements to be sent to the outskirts of Barcelona following five days of sometimes violent protests. — NNN-AGENCIES
