Unjustifiable arrests spiral

Sixteen people were arrested yesterday by the National Police in the Girona region, including two elected mayors affiliated to the CUP party: Ignasi Sabater and Dani Cornellà. Many of the detainees were stopped by hooded agents on their way to work and no-one was informed of what they were accused of until they were inside the Girona police station. All of them are being investigated for having allegedly participated in blocking the high speed train lines in Girona on October 1 2018 as part of a commemoration of the anniversary of the Catalan referendum. Yesterday morning the National Police arrested eleven people, some of whom were involved in the CDR (committee for the defence of the republic), the ANC (the Catalan national assembly) and a scout group, and pro-independence youth groups.. A woman from Girona who was waiting to take the train that day was even detained. They all welcomed their right to remain silent and were released one by one between 12:30 and 14:30. In the afternoon five more people were detained, who have since been released, including a photojournalist who had been covering the morning’s arrests and activists from a pro-independence youth group and a Catalan students union (SEPC).

University of Girona students were among those arrested yesterday afternoon. Some students, who had been informed by their parents that the police were looking for them, decided to stay on campus rather than go home. Two of their classmates were arrested on their way to the university to seek refuge. Inside the faculty dozens of students came together to guard their peers, who decided to sleep at the arts faculty last night.

Some of those arrested said they didnt’t take part in blocking the train tracks. Indeed the Mayor of Verges stated that he was at the school where he works that day, and there are therefore witnesses who will be able to confirm that he was not in Girona.