INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Spanish riot police have clashed with protesters outside a football match between fierce rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid.The match, held in
Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium, went off without a hitch and was halted only briefly when some fans threw balls onto the field bearing a
message for the Spanish government to open a dialogue with Catalonia's separatists.Thousands of police and private security guards were
deployed in and around the stadium in a bid to keep the separatists from disrupting the game, which was viewed by 650 million people
worldwide.Image:Some protesters briefly blocked main roads to the stadium before the game
Image:Protest organisers said over 25,000 people
signed up to demonstrateHowever, violence erupted as riot police used batons to force the crowd back.Some protesters threw missiles at
officers who were lined up behind shields while others fought among themselves.Authorities later said at least 12 people were injured and
two were arrested.When the game ended, some 100,000 spectators were directed to leave via the stadium's south side to avoid the clashes.The
separatists had used the match, which ended in a goalless draw, to promote their demands for Catalan independence by using the media
coverage of the game.Known as El Clasico - the name given to any football match between the two - it had been postponed from 26 October amid
violent protests by the separatists.Image:Riot police used batons in the clashes with protesters
The rivalry between Spain's two largest
cities is sometimes identified with opposing political positions - with Real Madrid viewed as representing the Spanish state and Barcelona
seen as representing Catalan nationalism.Security guards confiscated masks of Barcelona's Argentine star Lionel Messi from supporters as
they entered the football stadium to ensure they could be identified on closed-circuit camera if they broke the law.Fans held up blue signs
saying "Spain, Sit and Talk" and "Freedom", while others chanted "Freedom for the Political Prisoners" in Catalan.Image:Messages referred to
the government's refusal to discuss the wealthy north-eastern region's independence
The messages and chants referred to the Spanish
government's refusal to discuss the wealthy north-eastern region's independence, as well as the recent imprisonment of nine of the
separatist movement's leaders, convicted for their roles in a failed 2017 secession bid.Protest organisers said more than 25,000 people
signed up to demonstrate near the stadium, though it was hard to distinguish between protesters and fans
Some demonstrators briefly blocked main roads to the stadium before the game.The Barcelona team asked its fans to behave with civility and
