Rap singer Pablo Hasl sits inside the University of Lleida, Spain, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021.
The case of Pablo Hasรฉl, 32, has drawn increasing attention in Spain and has been linked to the government's sudden announcement to change a national law that is deemed to curtail freedom of expression.
Over 200 artists, including film director Pedro Almodรณvar and actor Javier Bardem, signed a petition last week in support of the rapper.
On Monday, accompanied by some 50 supporters, Hasรฉl barricaded himself inside the rectoral building of Lleida University, in the northeastern Catalonia region.
The Spanish branch of Amnesty International has also defended Hasรฉl and urged the government to introduce legal changes.