New Year party is stopped by riot police after 40 HOURS: 300 revellers face fines after they are evicted from abandoned warehouse near Barcelona
Riot police broke up an illegal 40-hour New Year's Eve party in Spain - leaving 300 revellers facing fines.
The lockdown-breaching party began on December 31 in the village of Llinas del Valles, 19 miles northeast of Barcelona.
Catalan police confiscated the sound system and all other equipment used at the party and revealed they will be pressing charges against all involved.
The penalty for attending an illegal gathering starts at 3,000 euros (£2,600) and can go up to 600,000 euros (£530,000) for the most-serious offenders, police said in a Twitter statement.
The 300 attendees were pictured pouring out of the building, after riot police with helmets and shields stormed inside.
Riot police broke up an illegal 40-hour New Year's Eve party in Spain (revellers pouring out of the warehouse, left) - leaving 300 revellers facing fines
The lockdown-breaching party (party-goers leaving, pictured) began on New Year's Eve in the village of Llinas del Valles, 19 miles northeast of Barcelona
Catalan police confiscated the sound system and all other equipment used at the party and revealed they will be pressing charges against all involved.
The post read: 'We will prosecute the organizers and all the partygoers.
'The three organisers of the illegal party in Llinars have been arrested. They will go to court in the next few hours.'
At the scene, a police helicopter flew overhead as hundreds of officers entered the warehouse.
A large crowd of onlookers gathered nearby, Spain's RNE public radio reported.
Footage from inside the warehouse shortly before the raid showed a large group of people dancing in front of a huge skull wearing a Santa hat, all of them in close proximity with no masks, and often smoking.
Catalan police (police vehicles, pictured) confiscated the sound system and all the other equipment used at the party and revealed they will be pressing charges against all involved
The penalty for attending an illegal gathering starts at 3,000 euros (£2,600) and can go up to 600,000 euros (£530,000) for the most-serious offenders, police (pictured at the scene) said in a Twitter statement
When the police arrived, most of them in riot gear, brief scuffles broke out on the dance floor where a young topless woman could be seen trying to calm the situation.
At least nine police vans could be seen parked inside the building.
It was not immediately clear how many people had been arrested, nor were the police immediately available to comment on media reports that many of the revellers had come from abroad.
Asked why the operation only began around midday on Saturday, police officials told local media it was a complex operation and they didn't move in until they were able to ensure the safety of officers and partygoers.