Protests mark stringent new Madrid lockdown

Protesters have taken to the streets of Madrid, Spain’s capital, to demonstrate against strict new lockdown measures.

From today, they will not be allowed to leave the areas they live in, except to go to work and for emergency medical treatment.

The lockdown measures mostly affect low-income areas with high immigrant populations.

Peaceful protests were held on Sunday in many of the city districts about to bear the brunt of the new restrictions.

“We need to protest because of what they’re doing right now in our neighbourhoods. They are taking us and confining us,” one demonstrator told Sky News.

At one point it looked like the protest might turn violent when riot police blocked access to a government building, but the demonstrations ended peacefully.

Some people are in favour of even tougher restrictions, with churchgoers at a Sunday mass in Madrid more sympathetic to the government’s measures.

One said: “It is necessary because the people are very irresponsible.

“If it was in my hands, I would confine all of Spain to end this. This is because the people do not collaborate with the government safety measures. There are many who just don’t care.”

Madrid is the worst-affected city in Europe’s worst-affected country.