A DOZEN people have been arrested and 66 injured, including 30 police officers, during a mass protest today (Friday) over the Council of Ministers meeting held in Barcelona.
The Committees in Defence of the Republic (of Catalunya), or CDR, organised the huge demonstration and are also behind a pro-independence march across the city this evening.
Catalunya's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, tackled incidents in the Paral·lel and Drassanes neighbourghoods and on the Vía Laitena, and 33 of them suffered minor injuries.
Health authorities say the wounded mostly sustained superficial cuts and bruises, and nobody was seriously hurt, although three people have been admitted to hospital.
One of the injured was reporter Cake Minuesa from the right-wing pro-Catholic news site Intereconomía, who was punched in the nose by one of the CDR.
Six of the demonstrators arrested, all CDR members, were taken into custody after hurling barriers, stones and paint at the Mossos in the Drassanes area.
Another protester arrested first thing in the morning had attempted to break through the police barricade on the Vía Laietana where the cabinet meeting – part of the purpose of which was the increase in the minimum wage to €900 a month based on a 14-month annual salary - was being held.
The accused is said to have been carrying 'material which could have been used to create explosive or incendiary devices'.
Other than 10 arrested in Barcelona, a further two were detained in L'Ampolla.
