Barcelona rocked by violence as Catalan protesters clash with police

MADRID, Oct 19 (MENA) - Hundreds of protesters faced off against police in the heart of Barcelona on Friday, assembling fiery barricades and throwing rocks at security forces on the fifth day of unrest following the sentencing of nine Catalan separatist leaders.

The general strike that brought the Catalan capital to a standstill drew over half a million people, according to police estimates, and was largely peaceful for most of the day, reported Sky News channel on Saturday.

In response, police fired tear gas, smoke grenades and foam bullets at the protesters and deployed water trucks to pass through the burning barricades.