Police in the Spanish city of Barcelona have clashed with gangs of hooded youths in the third night of violence triggered by moves to demolish a well-known squat.

On Monday squatters were ejected from Can Vies, a public building occupied for 17 years by left-wing radicals.

A police spokeswoman told the AFP news agency that helmeted police charged protesters after they breached a security line. The rioters responded by tipping over rubbish bins, breaking windows and pelting them with missiles.

Police and city officials say that the protesters used similar tactics on previous nights, in addition to attacking banks and charging police vans.

Barcelona city hall has called off plans to demolish and redevelop a squatted building in one of the city’s poorest districts after four nights of violent protests.

Police said they had arrested a total of 59 people in four nights of violent clashes after squatters were evicted and demolition began on the building, which is owned by Barcelona city transport authorities, but has been used as an unofficial civic centre since 1997.

The violent disturbances were blamed on a small group of troublemakers but the protest has won support from across Spain and peaceful demonstrations to show solidarity have been planned in other cities this weekend.

"These protests are not just about the eviction. The eviction was just one more blow after the crisis," a Can Vies representative said.

"The people are fed up of taking blows and in the end they explode."