A 22-year-old man has lost his eye after being hit by a rubber bullet fired by police trying to suppress protests in Catalonia, according to reports.

The man, who has not been named, was injured during demonstrations at the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

Police fired rubber bullets and used batons against thousands of protesters who massed there after Spain's Supreme Court convicted 12 pro-independence leaders and sentenced nine to prison.

The man is said to have undergone emergency surgery at Barcelona’s Bellvitge Hospital yesterday evening.

His eyeball “burst” in a wound “consistent with a rubber bullet”, hospital sources told local media.

Health officials said six people were reportedly injured by rubber bullets fired by police at the airport.

Regional emergency service SEM said 75 people were treated for injuries at the airport. Spain's airport operator, AENA, said at least 108 flights were cancelled.

Police also deployed aggressive counter measures after angry crowds gathered late yesterday in central Barcelona. They used batons, and sounds similar to the firing projectiles were heard.

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New disruptions to Catalonia's transport network followed the night of protests.

Authorities said that three people were arrested and more than 170 others injured, including about 40 police officers, after clashes continued overnight between angry protesters and riot police across Catalonia.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport, with many were forced to walk with their luggage on roads and across fields.

The protesters were responding to an online campaign by Tsunami Democratic, a loose, leaderless grassroots group that uses encrypted messaging apps to call for peaceful disobedience.

Spain's caretaker interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said that authorities were investigating the group.