Street parties held to celebrate end of Spain’s state of emergency

Crowds of people dance on the beach in Barcelona (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Impromptu street celebrations erupted across Spain as the clock struck midnight on Saturday, when a six-month national state of emergency to contain the spread of coronavirus ended and many night-time curfews were lifted.

In Madrid, police had to usher revellers out of the central Puerta del Sol square, where the scenes of unmasked dancing and group singing resembled pre-pandemic nightlife.