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Thousands of Spaniards in central Madrid have vowed to defy a ban on their protest camp and continue their open-air sit-in.

Spain's electoral board has ruled that the gathering cannot continue into the weekend.

It argues the protest could unduly influence voters taking part in local and regional elections across the country on Sunday.

The decision was met with jeers in Puerta del Sol, where thousands gather every evening - and hundreds have been camping out for five nights now.

Dubbed the "Spanish revolution", the protest began with a march through Madrid on Sunday, led by young Spaniards angry at mass unemployment, austerity measures and political corruption.

It turned into a spontaneous sit-in on the square in Sol, which organisers say has now been mirrored in 57 other cities.