Protesters blocked a border point on the AP-7 highway that connects the Spanish region of Catalonia with France on Monday, stopping traffic in both directions, Reuters reported, citing a Catalan police spokesman.

Around 80 people cut the highway at the border point of La Jonquera, some on the French side and the rest in Spain.

Secretive campaign group Democratic Tsunami, which has organized mass protests including at Barcelona airport last month, claimed responsibility for the disruption.

Catalonia has been rocked by mass protests since long prison sentences were handed down in mid-October to nine leaders who spearheaded a failed independence bid in 2017.