Madrid (CNN) -- Thousands of Spaniards protested on Saturday in defiance of a court-approved ban on demonstrations the day before Sunday's local and municipal elections.
The largest crowds, for a seventh straight day, were in Madrid and Barcelona, but there were also protests in Valencia and smaller cities, protest organizers and Spanish news media reported.
Overall, reports indicated that tens of thousands took to the streets across the nation, which is struggling with a 21% unemployment rate, the highest in the euro zone.
The ruling Socialist Party's candidates are widely expected to suffer deep losses to the conservatives, according to recent polls. The Socialist government did not immediately order the police to move in to disband the demonstrations.
Seed Newsvine