By Tyler Durden
Social unrest erupted across Spanish cities for the second consecutive night on Saturday after the government’s decision to extend a six-month state of emergency in response to the second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Anti-lockdown protesters flooded the streets of Madrid and Barcelona on Saturday night. At least 32 people were arrested and 12 injured when demonstrations turned violent with police in Madrid. Other protests were seen in Malaga, Vitoria, Valencia, Santander, and Burgos, reported RT News.
On Saturday evening, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called for calm as the violent protests intensified. He tweeted:
“Only from responsibility, unity, and sacrifice will we be able to defeat the pandemic that devastates all countries. Violent and irrational behavior by minority groups is intolerable. It is not the way.”
The extension of the national state of emergency order comes as coronavirus infection cases, on Saturday alone, topped 26,000, one of the highest totals since the start of the pandemic.
“Lawlessness” was the best way to describe the chaotic events in Madrid, tweeted Insider Paper.
RT New said, “protesters clashed with police in the capital city of Madrid, vandalizing ATMs, as well as breaking and burning trash cans in the city center.”
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, anti-lockdown protesters were upset about the nationwide curfew and how it would continue to crush the economy.
đŞđ¸ LOOK: Hundreds gathered in central Barcelona to protest pandemic-related restrictions.
This follows Spainâs recent declaration of a new nationwide state of emergency for the second time this year pic.twitter.com/IXZBn0v649â Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) October 31, 2020