Fights break out on the streets of Malaga as British expats do battle with chairs and wheelie bins as bars reopen after lifting of lockdown
- Violence happened outside pubs along the popular Paseo de Pedregalejo strip
- In videos shared on social media, people can be seen throwing bins and chairs
- Disruption escalated 48 hours into phase one of Malaga’s coronavirus exit plan
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Fights have broken out on the streets of Malaga in Spain as bars reopened after the lifting of lockdown.
British expats were reportedly among those involved in the violence outside the pubs and restaurants along the popular Paseo de Pedregalejo strip in the Costa del Sol resort.
In videos shared on social media, people can be seen throwing bins and chairs during fights, while others are pictured injured on the floor.
British expats were reportedly among those involved in the violence outside the pubs and restaurants along the popular Paseo de Pedregalejo strip in the Costa del Sol resort. Pictured are the scenes of disruption outside one bar
The disruption – which happened just 48 hours into phase one of Malaga’s coronavirus exit plan – saw more than a dozen drinkers involved in one scrap, which left a man ‘wounded’ on the ground, according to Sur.
Police were called to the area just after midnight to break up the fight which began after a row between two groups drinking outside a bar.
Local media reports that the victim decided against filing a complaint and did not require hospital treatment.
In videos shared on social media, people can be seen throwing bins and chairs during fights, while others are pictured injured on the floor
It is believed officers then attended three similar incidents in the same area that night.
Residents have said that they also saw people vomiting and urinating on the street.
Some claimed to local media that many were using alley ways off the strip as ‘toilets’ due to the restricted access in bars.
As per phase 1 of Spain’s coronavirus deescalation plan, bars, restaurants and cafes are allowed to reopen their terraces at 50 per cent capacity.
As per phase 1 of Spain’s coronavirus deescalation plan, bars, restaurants and cafes are allowed to reopen their terraces at 50 per cent capacity. Pictured: a bar in Malaga yesterday
A waiter serves customers at the Balneario de los Banos del Carmen restaurant in Malaga on the first day of its reopening yesterday
Initial planning had suggested they would be opened at 30 per cent capacity but this was amended by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
People are now allowed out to exercise and some shops can open.
But fears of a second wave remain and the government introduced mandatory mask use in public from Thursday.
Locations that were harder hit by coronavirus, such as Madrid and Barcelona, remain in a stricter quarantine.
In 2019, the province of Malaga received just over 13 million tourists. The Malaga Provincial Council estimates that four million tourists will be lost in the province from mid-March to the end of June this year.