Thousands of people marched into Madrid's Puerta del Sol square Friday to protest police use of force on demonstrators who had rallied at the interior ministry a day earlier to protest the closure of the square.
The central plaza has become a symbolic site for “Los Indignados,” a movement that has been protesting Spain's high unemployment and the government's handling of the nation's economic crisis.
The rally took place one day after riot police clashed with protesters who had massed outside the interior ministry after trying unsuccessfully to gain access to the square for several days. At least 20 people were injured during Thursday's confrontation.
Spaniards angered about the economic situation have been staging regular protests in Madrid since May 15. The movement later spread to other parts of the country.
Protesters have been gathering in the square since May to protest about issues arising from Spain’s economic crisis and rising unemployment.
The protesters yesterday regained access to the square - a symbol of their movement. Several wore badges that read “very fragile.”
"This square belongs to the people. We have much to celebrate today. We won this battle," a spokesman for the movement said.
Oriol, a 33-year-old whose arm was broken during the conflict on Thursday told the AFP, "I had my back to the police and they struck me three times, once in my arm. The riot police hit everyone, women, old people."
The protests in Madrid began on 15 May and spread to other Spanish cities via Facebook and Twitter.
Spain's unemployment rate is the highest in the EU, at 21.3%, and is particularly high among the under-25s, at 44.6%.
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