Spain’s most important football match of the year went ahead amid high security as fires burned in the streets outside FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium as pro-Catalan independence protesters gathered for a mass rally.

Tsunami Democratic’s called the “mass concentration” hours before el clasico match against Real Madrid.

The group held demonstrations at four different locations surrounding the stadium chanting the slogan “Rights, Freedom and Self-Determination” as authorities feared that they could prevent the match from happening at all after it was postponed in October over rallies. But it still went ahead on Wednesday evening.

Outside the stadium, chaos ensued.

Full article at The National’s website. Date of publication: 18/12/2019.