Thousands of  Spanish protesters opposed to the cost of Pope Benedict’s World Youth Day visit to Madrid confronted police  and Catholic pilgrims defending the international youth festival on Wednesday evening (see our text coverage and video here).

Here are some scenes caught by our photographers on the spot:

(Policemen scuffle with protesters during a demonstration against what they claim is the expensive cost of the papal visit in central Madrid coinciding with the second day of the World Youth Day meeting August 17, 2011/Juan Medina)

(Protesters fill much of Madrid's landmark Puerta del Sol square/Susana Vera)

(A protester holds a sign reading "'Ratzinger fibber, Christ would have visited Somalia"/Juan Medina

(Pilgrims pray as protesters try to set a World Youth Day flag on fire/Susana Vera)