Police protest in Barcelona

Some 1,500 police officers from the Guardia Civil and National police forces, again demonstrated in Barcelona yesterday to call for the same salaries as other security forces, even though the issue falls to the Spanish government. The presence of members of the police forces paying tribute to the officers who took part in the crackdown on voters in the October 1 referendum was seen as a provocation by some members of the public, who took part in a counter-demonstration organised by the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) pro-independence pressure group.

The Spanish police protestors were well guarded by a deployment of Mossos d’Esquadra Catalan police, according to the Efe news agency, although police charged the counter-demonstration, as could be seen on social media.

The police march went from Via Laietana to Arc de Triomf and included officers who had travelled to the Catalan capital in coaches from different parts of Spain. During the demonstration, the protestors waved Spanish flags while chanting “equal pay now”, “long live Spain” as well as insults against the Socialist party. They also painted red y yellow ribbons showing support with the jailed Catalan political leaders that they found in their path, as well as shouting “you are Spanish” at locals who had hung Catalan independence flags on their balconies, according to news agencies.

Meanwhile, the Mossos d’Esquadra made at least two charges against the protestors in the CDR demonstration, made up of around 400 people, according to the city police, the Guàrdia Urbana. According to the ACN news agency, the CDR protesters had thrown flour, eggs, confetti and glitter at the Mossos officers blocking their path.