84 arrested, 132 injured during Barcelona celebrations

by BNO News on May 29, 2011

BARCELONA (BNO NEWS) -- At least 84 people were arrested and 132 were injured during overnight celebrations for Barcelona's Champions League victory, El Mundo newspaper reported on Sunday.

An estimated 50,000 fans gathered in the heart of the Catalan capital after Barcelona's 3-1 win over Manchester United in London. Fans began to throw bottles and all kinds of objects, prompting police to act.

According to a police statement, the 84 people were arrested for disorderly conduct, throwing objects, damaging street furniture and attacking law enforcement officers. Around 132 people were injured, most of them lightly. Among the injured there were 44 police officers.

Meanwhile, almost 2,000 protesters continued their sit-in at Plaza Catalunya, near the celebrations. Protesters formed human barriers in an attempt to prevent clashes with the football fans.

Earlier on Friday, at least 100 people were injured after police tried to disperse protesters to end the almost two weeks of demonstrations against high unemployment and the Spanish government's austerity measures.

The spokesman for the Catalan Government, Francesc Homs, defended police actions, saying that they were just trying to allow the cleaning of the area to avoid unrest following the Champions League final football match between FC Barcelona and Manchester on Saturday. The opposition, however, condemned the incident and criticized the authorities for attacking the peaceful protesters.

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