Indignados return as Spain dips back into recession Large numbers of riot police, however, surrounded the capital's central square to prevent anyone creating a camp and a curfew was imposed by the new Right-wing government of Mariano Rajoy. A government dictat stated the square must be cleared between midnight and 10am, a move seen as "a return to the dark days of Franco" by some. After many hours of peaceful protest on Saturday, during which about 30,000 people crammed into Puerta del Sol, the police moved in at 5am on Sunday to evict the few hundred remaining. Tarpaulins were dismantled and protesters dragged from the square. The interior ministry reported 18 arrests in Madrid and at least four injuries, which included two police officers. Protesters were cleared from other cities, including Valencia, Saragossa, Cádiz and Palma in Majorca. In the capital, protesters reconvened in the afternoon. "We should be allowed to protest peacefully in whatever way we like," Francisco, a 32-year-old civil servant who has been part of Indignados since its inception, said. What we have here is a return to a police state, a Right-wing government denying a voice to citizens who don't agree with them. Los Indignados is credited with spawning the Occupy movements in Wall Street in New York and London. Despite the protests this weekend, the movement has become beleaguered by infighting over its political direction. Participation appeared to be less than at the height of the protests last year, with police estimating a turnout of about 100,000 across Spain.