Pablo Hasel, a rapper in Catalonia, Spain, was arrested for insulting lyrics and social media posts, triggering protests in many cities in Spain.
On February 17, thousands of people in Spain took to the streets to protest, during which the police clashed with demonstrators.
According to the BBC on the 18th, rapper Hassel was arrested by the police on February 16 after he wrote lyrics and tweeted articles on suspicion of insulting the Spanish royal family.
The next day, thousands of people in Madrid and Barcelona took to the streets to protest and encountered riot policemen armed with batons and shields.
On the 17th, at least 14 people were arrested in Madrid and at least 29 people were arrested in Barcelona.
In Madrid, many protesters held peaceful demonstrations.
They clapped their hands and shouted: “The police should stop using violence and let Pablo Hassserl be free again.” But there were also protesters throwing bottles and stones at the police, who then used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Similar incidents occurred in Barcelona, where protesters set up roadblocks on the streets and set fire to furniture.
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martinez-Almeida condemned the violence and tweeted: “Violents and non-compliant people have no place in our society.”
Pablo Hassel faces nine months in prison for glorifying terrorism and insulting the Spanish royal family in lyrics and tweets. T
his incident rekindled the Spanish discussion on freedom of expression.
