His imprisonment sparked a wave of protests and has coincided with the government's announcement of a reform of crimes related to freedom of expression.

[11] A female protester in the city lost an eye from a foam bullet fired by the Mossos d'Esquadra, the police force of Catalonia.

[12] Violent unrest occurred in other Catalan cities, including Hasél's hometown of Lleida, as well as Vic, Girona and Reus.

[7] Barcelona's mayor Ada Colau, of En Comú Podem, condemned all violence and voiced support for the police.

[21] The official Podemos Twitter account said "Every time that people denounce a democratic irregularity in the streets, the media powers put the focus on the unrest so that we stop debating the root problem, and nothing changes.