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A large peaceful concentration leads again to vandalism and assaults on shops by groups of young people
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Interior tries to calm the spirits of the police unions by summoning them to an extraordinary meeting
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Barcelona registered this Saturday the fifth consecutive night of violent altercations by young protesters who have carried out acts of vandalism and clashes with the Mossos d’Esquadra. The Catalan Police have returned to use foam projectiles in the Lesseps area to contain the uncontrolled, who looted shops, the Stock Exchange and even the Palau de la Música Catalana.
The initial concentration of this Saturday in the Plaza de la Universitat, in protest against the imprisonment of rapper Pablo Hasél, had welcomed several hundred people, in an initially festive atmosphere. Those gathered were mostly young but citizens of all ages also participated. Antonio, 64, showed his support for the young protesters: “We are fed up, what we have seen these days is a shame and things have to change. I already fought years ago and now it’s their turn, but I come to support them. “.
The day ended this time with nine detainees in Catalonia: six in Barcelona, two minors in Tarragona and one in Lleida.
Also political and union tension
This new round of vandalism takes place in a context of maximum tension between the unions of the Mossos d’Esquadra and their commanders in front of the political position of the ‘minister’ of Interior, Miquel Sàmper and his party, Junts per Catalunya, who have openly criticized the current model of citizen security of the autonomous police and have demanded immediate changes. Also ERC, although in a more temperate tone, has opened to update the performance of the Mossos. All this in the context of the negotiations to form a new Government, in which the CUP is once again decisive mathematically.
This Sunday there will be a emergency meeting between Interior and the union representatives of the police force, who denounce having been abandoned by the political leaders of the Interior due to the altercations of these days. The agents and the commanders defend their actions and denounce the extreme violence against the Mossos by the protesters and give as an example the throwing of stones and the destruction in the Vic police station, among others.
The use of foam projectiles, as in the altercations this Saturday, is also on the table. The mossos denounce a shortage of means while the CUP demands the suppression of this method, also questioned by the ‘comuns’.
The attacks
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This initial protest call resulted in various acts of vandalism by groups of protesters to different parts of the city outside the official call. A group moved towards Via Laietana and caused damage to the Palau de la Música. Others provoked damage around Diputació street with Pau Claris, knocking down containers to use as a barricade. Again there have been looting of shops, including those of the Puma, Versace and Diesel firms in the center of the capital.
As well the Stock Exchange was the target of an attack, in the Paseo de Gracia. The vandalism actions have moved from this main artery of the city to the Gracia neighborhood. It was there that the Mossos acted with more forcefulness, firing foam projectiles and encapsulating the violent ones. As in previous days, the violence stopped as the ten o’clock curfew approached.
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