Riot police clashed with protesters in Barcelona during a youth demonstration organized on social media, just hours before El Clásico.

Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou is set to host the highly anticipated clash between Barcelona and visitors Real Madrid this evening, in a top fixture of the 10th round of the Spanish La Liga season.

Spanish media reports said the protest began in Plaça de Catalunya before escalating into clashes with the Catalan police, known as the Mossos d’Esquadra. Officers intervened to disperse demonstrators after acts of vandalism targeted public property, shops and vehicles.

The unrest led to the closure of some shops and restrictions on access to the area around Plaça de Catalunya, as security forces deployed in large numbers and urged the public to avoid the affected areas.

The developments come just hours before El Clásico, a match that draws huge interest from football fans around the world, placing security measures and crowd management among the key concerns ahead of kickoff.

La Liga has not announced any changes to the match schedule or indicated that the unrest in Barcelona would affect the game.

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