The streets of central Barcelona were again converted into battle scenes on Friday night, as small but organised groups of protesters laid burning barricades across several streets and flung missiles including smashed-up pieces of pavement.

Riot police responded with foam bullets, smoke canisters and tear gas.

The biggest battle was still raging as midnight approached in Via Laietana, a street on which the National Police has its headquarters in Barcelona.

As of 11pm disturbances in Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia had seen 17 people arrested and 62 requiring medical treatment.

Central Barcelona had earlier been brought to a standstill as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched into the city to reject a Spanish court’s decision to jail nine Catalan separatist leaders.