Marlaska congratulates the Mossos and the National Police for the expulsion of the singers from the Sagrada Familia

BarcelonaThe controversial expulsion of 600 singers from the blessing ceremony of the Jesus tower of the Sagrada Família continues to cause repercussions and this Wednesday reached Congress. The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, justified the expulsion of some of the choirs during the Pope's ceremony in Antoni Gaudí's basilica on grounds of "security" and congratulated the Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police for their actions.

In a appearance before the lower house, Marlaska denied that the operation that removed hundreds of singers because esteladas were found hidden among the sheet music violated fundamental rights and recalled that there was an express prohibition from the dean of the cathedral for political symbols or expressions to be displayed during religious services. "I want to congratulate the National Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra for extraordinary work that, moreover, was neither seen nor altered the event," stated the minister.

Marlaska defended the operation in response to the interventions of Junts deputy Marta Madrenas and ERC deputy Francesc-Marc Álvaro, who accused the police forces of having violated the fundamental right to freedom of expression and of having carried out an action unbecoming of a "democratic police force".

"It was considered a very serious risk to perform the official national anthem of Catalonia in Catalonia," criticized Madrenas, who insisted that "there were only citizens peacefully exercising their rights, and in a democracy that should never be a problem." For his part, Álvaro regretted that the security forces acted "in such a strange way" and assured that it is not proven that they wanted to "boycott the act" of inaugurating the Jesus tower, but, despite this, they were removed "without any right".

Warning from within the hearts

Marlaska's words come after this Tuesday the president of the Episcopal Conference (CEE), Luis Argüello, explained that the expulsion of the singers took place following the warning from some of the choir members. In the press conference balancing the Pope's visit to the State, Argüello said that, while they did not know the official report of what happened, they did have information on some details of the "attempted intervention by independence groups" in the most relevant act of the pontiff's visit to Barcelona. The president of the CEE admitted that it was singers from the choirs performing in the basilica who revealed that changes had been made to the sheet music so that some of them would hide esteladas between the pages.