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Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday sentenced 12 prominent former Catalan politicians and activists to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a 2017 bid to gain independence for Catalonia, sparking protests across the wealthy Spanish region.

According to the report by The Associated Press, the landmark ruling, after a four-month trial, inflamed independence supporters in the northeastern region bordering France where Catalan identity is a passionate issue.

Within hours, police in riot gear clashed with protesters gathering at Barcelona’s airport. Police used batons to drive back a crowd near the entrance to the subway inside the airport’s main terminal. The subway line to the airport was closed on police orders. The protests snarled traffic along airport access roads, the source said.