Chaos breaks out in Spain: Thousands join furious protest as violence erupts across Europe

Similar protests also erupted in major cities like Seville and Barcelona and other provincial capitals.

Vox said: “It is time to make a big noise against the government of unemployment and misery that has abandoned our self-employed and workers.”

The party’s leader Santiago Abascal told protesters: “This government is directly responsible for the worst management of this crisis on the entire planet. We will never forget what they have done.

“Let your desire be heard for the resignation of the government.”

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Vox accuses the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of lying about the impact of the health crisis and of violating Spaniards’ rights by confining people to their homes and closing their businesses.

Bank employee Almudena Camara, 47, at the Madrid protest said: “I’m here to ask for the government to resign. We are tired of being kept in prison.”

Spanish government spokeswoman María Jesús Montero said on Friday that the right to protest “cannot be confused with a right to infect”.

Spain imposed some of the strictest restrictions in the world to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

The country was also one of the hardest hit, with more than 28,000 deaths and 234,000 cases.

While rural regions of Spain have already eased restrictions, major cities including Madrid and Barcelona will only begin to relax measures from Monday.

Both cities will begin by by allowing outdoor dining and gatherings of up to ten people.

Economic forecasts showed that the already fragile Spanish economy could contract by up to 12 percent this year. 

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In Germany, protests turned violent with water cannons called in to disperse crowds protesting against Angela Merkel’s handling of the lockdown.

Police deployed water cannons to break up hundreds of people demonstrating in Hamburg.

The protest also drew a counter-protest who accused the protest of being hijacked by the far-right and claimed they were spreading conspiracy theories.

A police spokesman said that nearly 30 rallies were held in Berlin, as well as counter-demonstrations.