Catalan police arrest four over parliament protests

Catalan police have arrested four people in relation to the protests that took place in front of Parliament on January 30, the day when the swearing-in ceremony for deposed president Carles Puigdemont was postponed following Spanish court orders.

Police detained people in the Catalan towns of Malgrat de Mar, Solsona, Òrrius and Arenys de Mar on Tuesday morning. Those arrested are now being investigated for crimes of public disorder and resisting the authorities.

Parliament speaker Roger Torrent temporarily suspended Puigdemont’s appointment after the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that the pro-independence leader could not retake the office from abroad. The decision sparked outrage among protesters, who broke through a police cordon and encircled the parliament building.