Riot police in Barcelona used batons on locals protesting a Louis Vuitton show attended by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Hundreds of protesters gathered to block entry to Park Güell, where the French fashion brand was unveiling its latest collection, over what they say is overtourism in the area.
Seven police officers were lightly injured in the clashes and one arrest was made.
Local residents around the park began their protest earlier in the week over the announcement that the gardens would be closed for two days and there would be restrictions on parking.
For many it was the final straw in what they see as the steady loss of their community to tourists and outsiders.
Park Güell has become a magnet for millions of tourists that visit Barcelona every year, prompting complaints by locals of congestion.
Recently, the city council removed a bus service from Google Maps after local users said it was constantly rammed by backpackers.
On Thursday the protest swelled amid chants of “Our neighbourhoods, not your catwalks”.
Others unfurled a banner reading “Stop tourism invasion”.
Louis Vuitton was showcasing its Women’s Cruise 2025 Collection at a glittering event attended by film stars Emma Stone, Ana de Armas and Sophie Turner.
The demonstration also included a parody of a fashion show with protesters holding a catwalk in the street. One person strutted around in a black coat with ACAB, short for All Cops Are B——-, emblazoned on the back.
“Barcelona must not go back to the old-fashioned model where we have events that privatise public spaces,” said Ada Colau, the city’s Left-wing former mayor.
Ms Colau’s Barcelona en Comú party said it would demand an investigation into the city council’s decision to hold the event in Park Güell and also claimed that damage had been done to a stone stairway in the park built by the celebrated modernist architect Antoni Gaudí.
However, Raquel Gil, Barcelona’s councillor for economic development, said the show was “a great opportunity for the entire fashion sector in Barcelona and Catalonia”.
She noted that Louis Vuitton is “firmly rooted in Catalonia” with two stores and four leather workshops that employ more than 1,800 people.
Louis Vuitton is among the corporate sponsors of the America’s Cup yachting event, which will take place in Barcelona later this year.
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