Street clashes erupted Thursday night in central Madrid over the death of a 35-year-old African vendor who witnesses said died trying to escape from police cracking down on illegal street sales.
Hundreds of protesters burned plastic trash bins, blocking narrow streets in the Lavapies neighborhood of the Spanish capital. An Associated Press reporter saw protesters throw stones at dozens of riot police officers. Rioters also set fire to the facade of a bank branch and broke glass partitions at a bus stop.
Spanish anti riot police officers in full gear get cover in a corner during clashes with rioters at the Lavapies neighborhood in Madrid, early Friday, March 16, 2018. Rioting has broken in central Madrid over the death of a 35 year-old African hawker who witnesses said had died escaping from local police reining on illegal street sales. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Madrid's emergency service said 16 police officers and four civilians were treated for minor injuries.
The Spanish news agency Europa Press quoted police as saying the vendor died of cardiorespiratory arrest while running from officers.
"I regret very much the death of a citizen in Lavapies," Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena tweeted, adding that the municipal government would "investigate thoroughly what happened and act accordingly."
Doudou Diouf, who described himself as a friend of the dead man, said the vendor had lived in Spain for 12 years and had applied unsuccessfully three times for legal residency.
Spanish anti riot police officers in full gear walk past a burned motorcycle as they patrol at the Lavapies neighborhood in Madrid, early Friday, March 16, 2018. Street clashes erupted Thursday night in central Madrid over the death of a 35-year-old African vendor who witnesses said died trying to escape from police cracking down on illegal street sales.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
"He was a good guy. He doesn't deserve this," Diouf said.
One resident, who gave his name only as Marcos, told AP that earlier in the day he saw police on foot and on motorbikes pursuing a group of African street vendors. He said the chase began in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square and headed toward the Lavapies neighborhood.
MADRID (AP) — Spain on Tuesday approved a plan aimed at making reparation and economic compensation for victims of sex abuse committed by people connected to the Catholic Church.
It also announced the future celebration of a public act of recognition for those affected and their families.
The Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, said the plan was based on recommendations in a report by Spain's Ombudsman last year. From that report, he said it was concluded that some 440,000 adults may have suffered sex abuse in Spain by people linked to the church and that roughly half of those cases were committed by clergy.
Bolaños said the compensation would be financed by the church.
But in a statement Tuesday, Spain’s Bishops Conference rejected the plan, saying it discriminated against victims outside of church circles.
No details of how much or when financial compensation would be paid were released. Neither was a date set for any public act of recognition.
Bolaños said the plan aimed to “settle a debt with those victims who for decades were forgotten by everyone and now our democracy aims to repair” that, and make it a central part of government policy.
After years of virtually ignoring the issue, Spain’s bishops apologized for the abuses committed by church members following the Ombudsman's report but disputed the number of victims involving the church as exaggerated. That report accused the church of widespread negligence.
Bolaños said the government hoped to carry out the plan over the next four years in collaboration with the church.
The project will include free legal assistance for all victims of sexual abuse and it will reinforce the prevention supervision in schools.
Only a handful of countries have had government-initiated or parliamentary inquiries into clergy sex abuse, although some independent groups have carried out their own investigations.
FILE - A woman prays at the San Ramon Nonato church after an Easter Holy Week procession was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, April 9, 2020. Spain has approved a plan aimed at making reparation and economic compensation for victims of sex abuses committed by people connected to the Catholic Church. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)
