Dozens of people arrested as a rapper for tweets generate furious protests against freedom of expression in Spain

Madrid – Spanish police arrested almost 50 people on Wednesday night amid a second night of clashes over a rapper’s arrest for a series of tweets that insulted the police and the monarchy. The angry demonstrations began on Tuesday night in Catalonia, after police arrested Pablo Hasel, 32, who had holed up at a university in the region to try to avoid his prison sentence in a controversial case of free speech.

The protests escalated on Wednesday, with hundreds of people gathering under the strong police presence in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, calling for his release. Later, protesters in the capital threw bottles at police officers, who attacked them in clashes that lasted several hours.

Police said at least 15 people were arrested, but were due to release an update on Thursday morning, while city emergency services said 55 people were injured, including 35 police officers.

In Barcelona, ​​protesters threw objects at the police and set barricades on fire, with the police firing foam cartridges and charging at the protesters.

Across Catalonia, the Mossos d’Esquadra regional police said 31 people were arrested, including 10 in Barcelona, ​​14 in Lerida, where Hasel was arrested, five in the city of Girona and 2 in Tarragona.

Doctors said eight people were slightly injured, and local authorities and a human rights organization confirmed that a 19-year-old woman, a protester, lost an eye after being hit by a foam bullet fired by police on Tuesday in Barcelona.

At least 15 people were arrested Tuesday night in protests in several Catalan cities in which more than 30 people were injured, including 19 police, officials said.

Hasel missed Friday’s deadline to surrender and begin serving a nine-month prison sentence in 2018. He was convicted of glorifying terrorism and insulting and slandering the state’s monarchy and security forces after posting a series of tweets calling ex-king Juan Carlos I am a mafia boss and I accuse the police of torturing and killing protesters and migrants.

Hasel is known for his extreme left-wing views, but his case has become a celebrated cause among activists, who say that prosecuting him is a dangerous attack on freedom of expression.

His sentence caused outrage in Spain, with stars like filmmaker Pedro Almodovar and Hollywood actor Javier Bardem expressing support for his cause.

Amnesty International denounced the measure, saying that arresting the rapper because of the lyrics of the songs and tweets was “unfair and disproportionate”.