RIOT cops and anti-tourist protesters have gone head-to-head in a violent clash outside a Louis Vuitton fashion show in Barcelona. Dramatic footage from the scene showed protesters banging pots and screaming in officers' faces, as police swung at them with batons. Cops dressed in riot gear with batons and helmets confronted tens of protesters as they tried to block access to Barcelona 's renowned Park Guell, which had been closed off for a Louis Vuitton fashion show.
They swiped at the protesters who pushed toward them in a pack and shoved them back with their hands. One man was handcuffed by a cop while lying face-down on the road, after he punched at an officer who appeared to have earlier struck him and a woman with a baton. Demonstrators were heard chanting slogans like "Barcelona is not for sale" and accused the local council of "privatising" public spaces.
Some stood directly in front of police officers, their faces only inches apart, and stared intently into the cops' helmets. Huge crowds shouted as police battled with the protesters, some of whom carried signs and were dressed in expressive clothing and makeup - such as in a wedding dress made of plastic, or with blood tears painted beneath their eyes. The demonstrators were understood to have been protesting a number of different social issues including tourism, gentrification, the privatisation of public places by the city council, and animal rights.
Banners hung around the area were painted with phrases such as "Lo.
