(CNN) Hundreds of protesters gathered in Spain's capital Madrid on Monday night after a Barcelona court cleared five men of sexual assault charges, ruling the crime did not fit the legal definition of rape because the unconscious teenage victim didn't fight back.

Under Spanish law, a sexual attack can only be classified as an assault or rape if the perpetrator uses violence or intimidation.

Because the 14-year-old victim was unconscious, the five were convicted of a lesser charge of sexual abuse last week and sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison, despite the prosecution arguing they should be charged with assault.

Congregating in front of the Justice Ministry, demonstrators chanted, "it's not abuse, it's rape" and "you are not alone." Some held placards which read: "Enough patriarchal justice," and "Only yes means yes."

Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau has condemned the court's ruling, posting on Twitter: "Another outrageous sentence of the #PatriarchalJustice who does not want to understand that only YES is YES."

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