Spain: Barricade erected at Barcelona rapper protest

Street protests over the imprisonment of a rapper turned violent for a fifth straight night in Barcelona on Saturday as protesters smashed windows, looted shops and started fires.

Pablo Hasél was arrested earlier this week and began to serve a 9-month prison sentence after his conviction for insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorist violence.

Police detained Hasél following a 24-hour standoff at a university building which he had barricaded himself inside.

Many people, including artists, celebrities and politicians, have expressed support for a change in the country's so-called "Gag Law" covering freedom of expression.

The government unexpectedly announced last week that it would change the law to scrap prison terms for offenses involving freedom of expression.

It did not specifically mention Hasél or set a timetable for the changes.