BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Catalan authorities say protesters angry about Spain's Cabinet holding a meeting in Barcelona have blocked a major highway and dozens of roads, disrupting traffic to and from the city.

Pro-independence protesters called the protests to show their disgust at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's decision to lead the weekly Cabinet meeting in Barcelona.

Security in the prosperous northeastern region, normally in the hands of the Catalan police, has been reinforced with hundreds of anti-riot officers from Spain's national police force.

Sanchez has agreed with the pro-secession leader of the region, Quim Torra, to work on finding a solution to the political crisis that has festered since Catalonia's failed secession attempt last year. Their meeting on Thursday was only the second since both took power earlier this year.