Baton-wielding riot police charged and beat demonstrators at a student protest against spending cuts in the Spanish city of Valencia Monday and arrested several, reporters at the scene said.

The clashes broke out after students protesting against education budget cuts, which they say have left classrooms without heating, demonstrated outside a school and came up against police barricades.

Media images and press reports from the scene showed baton-wielding police in helmets and body armour chasing and beating youths and dragging some along the ground.

A Valencia police spokesman confirmed to AFP that arrests had been made, but could not confirm how many. Spanish media said about 10 people were detained.

"There were demonstrators acting aggressively and so there were arrests," the spokesman said, adding that the police acted to "restore order".

Similar skirmishes broke out in Valencia last week during student protests, part of a series of demonstrations across Spain against government measures including spending cuts that are hitting public services.

The opposition Socialists on Monday issued a demand for the interior minister and chief of police to address parliament to explain what they called the "heavy-handed repression" of last week's protests.