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(CNN) - The president of Catalonia, Quim Torra, called for talks with the Spanish Government after a fifth consecutive night of violence in the streets of Barcelona and other parts of the region, while continuing discontent over the imprisonment of Catalan separatist leaders .
More than half a million independentistas protesters gathered Friday in the Catalan capital, local police said, for a peaceful march that converged in the city center.
- Violence in Catalonia for the imprisonment of independence leaders
But violence broke out and fires occurred at night, which led to 64 people being arrested and 89 injured, according to a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
Since the protests began on Monday, more than 300 people have been arrested, the spokesman told CNN, with nine remaining in custody, while some 200 police officers were injured and 171 vehicles damaged.
At a press conference on Saturday, Torra urged the president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, to "set the day and time for a negotiating table."
“It is your responsibility and obligation. It is more urgent than ever. We have long demanded it for a political resolution of the conflict, ”he added.
The Spanish government responded by saying that Torra had to "strongly condemn" the violence, adding that it was "something he had not done so far."
A spokesman for Sanchez's office told CNN: “In order for the dialogue to be effective, as the leader of the PSC (Party of the Socialists of Catalonia) Miquel Iceta said, Mr. Torra should recognize the other part of the Catalans , that they are not independentistas, and that they demand to reconstruct the coexistence damaged by the independence movement ”, and added that“ the coexistence, lately, [is] even more damaged by the violent movement of independence ”.
"The government of Spain reiterates that the problem of Catalonia is not independence, which will not happen, because it is not legal, nor do most Catalans want it, but coexistence," the spokesman added.
“His referendum proposal is not desired by the majority of Catalans or, apparently, the majority of his own government. The first thing to restore is the condemnation of violence, something Mr. Torra has not done. ”
- Tension in Catalonia: this happened on the fifth day of protests
Judgment fails to stimulate protests
Protesters have been protesting every night since Monday, when nine Catalan politicians were convicted by the Spanish Supreme Court for their role in an independence movement that tried to separate Catalonia from the rest of Spain two years ago.
Friday's scenes showed the riot police facing protesters, some of whom threw objects at them. Garbage containers were set on fire, something common in the last week. Barcelona City Council said 700 containers have been burned during the riots in the last three nights.
Trees, pavement, traffic lights and public signs were damaged, and the total cost to the city so far reached more than 1.5 million euros (one 1.7 million dollars). Dozens of roads in and around Barcelona remained closed to traffic.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Interior Minister of Spain, told reporters on Saturday that the Spanish security forces had done "an extraordinary job" and insisted that the state was not overwhelmed.
Grande-Marlaska also criticized Torra for not condemning the violence.
"No one understands that they speak minutes and minutes and do not condemn," he said. "They must choose the path of democratic institutions, because there is no other way."
Earlier this week, Torra, who has been criticized in some sectors for calling civil disobedience while sending the Catalan riot police to restore order, blamed the infiltrators who tried to undermine the independence movement and also urged End such actions.
Strong sentences for independence leaders
Protests broke out after the Supreme Court ruling on Monday. Oriol Junqueras, former vice president of Catalonia, was sentenced to 13 years in prison and was forbidden to hold a public office for the same period of time. He was convicted of sedition and misuse of public funds.
The former Catalan foreign minister Raúl Romeva, the Catalan government exporter, Jordi Turull, and former labor minister Dolors Bassa were convicted of the same crimes, and sentenced to 12 years in prison. They were also banned from holding public office for 12 years.
Five other officials and activists were sentenced to nine to 11 years each, with three more people sentenced for shorter periods for minor offenses.
His supporters accuse Madrid of political persecution and are asking for another independence referendum, which Madrid said would be illegal.
The CDR group in favor of independence has asked protesters to establish a permanent camp in the city center. Police said that while they know about the plans, tents have not yet been installed.
On early Friday, the Spanish Football Federation postponed El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid until the end of this month due to continuous Catalan protests.
Catalonia independence