MADRID — Several thousand protesters angry over Spain's economic crisis and soaring jobless rate defied a ban by Madrid authorities and pressed on Wednesday with demonstrations ahead of weekend local elections.
Demonstrators have camped in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square and in cities around the country since the weekend, responding to calls on online social networks and by the Real Democracy protest organisation.
Some have vowed to stay until the regional and municipal elections on Sunday.
However, electoral authorities in the Madrid region denied an official request by organisers to hold a rally in the Puerta del Sol from 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Wednesday.
The request was not submitted with 24 hours' notice as required by law and the demonstration "could affect the electoral campaign and the freedom of citizens with the right to vote," a spokeswoman for the election authority in the region said.
A spokesman for the organisers, Juan Rubio, vowed the protesters would "stay here until election day."
If police try to "remove us we will sit down, everything will be peaceful, and if we are eventually dispersed we will come back tomorrow."
One demonstrator, Carlota Jover, said the electoral board's decision "has no binding effect, therefore there is no ban."
About 15 police vehicles took up positions in and around the square Wednesday evening but police took no action and the police presence diminished later.
By midnight, most of the protesters were starting to disperse as rain fell.
Hundreds also defied bans in the southern cities of Granada and Seville, Spanish media said. Protests have been held in Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and Palma de Majorca.
In London, around 100 Spaniards gathered outside their country's embassy to voice their support for the protests, an AFP reporter said.
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